Maiden Voyage
by BonitaBreezy
Summary: When Rikku and Yuna set sail on the ship of dreams, they find more then they expected. A lot more. Aurriku Yuna/Tidus. AU
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I know the Titanic curve is kind of cheesy, believe me, but this story has been plaguing my dreams, so I have officially decided to embrace the cheese. Also, I would just like to remind y'all that this is taking place in our world, so the characters are definitely going to be a bit different from the ones you know and love. I'll do my best to keep them in character as far as my idea will allow them to be. One last note, then I'll shut up. Auron will be considerably younger here then in normal circumstances, because it just makes things easier on me. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

Rikku, Wednesday, April 10, 1912

"Rikku, close your mouth. It's hardly flattering for a lady." Rikku snapped her mouth shut, coming back to herself and looked at Arianna. Rikku heard the slightest giggle from her best friend and cousin, Yuna. Yuna had recently become an orphan and Rikku's parents had taken her in.

"Sorry, mother. I've never seen such a beautiful ship before!" she exclaimed.

Indeed, it was a glorious ship. She was large, with several decks and many windows, freshly painted, waiting for her maiden voyage across the ocean heading to New York.

"Come on, then," Cid said gruffly, heading toward the ship. Her father was a wealthy man, but he had insisted the ship was a bad omen. He believed that the name Titanic was far too close to Titan; a fictional ship that had been rumored to have sank. The only reason they were going at all was because Arianna had thrown a fit and Cid had a hard time resisting his wife. Rikku followed her parents toward the ship, pushing through the crowd with a bit of difficulty. She was wearing a floor length gown, which was proper and also very hard to walk in. At home in New York, Rikku had always worn pants, much to her mother's horror. Unfortunately, she had turned seventeen in London and her mother insisted on burning everything in preparation for Rikku's presentation in to society when she turned eighteen.

The thoughts were pushed from her mind as she came into the ship and gasped. It was as beautiful on the inside as the outside! The walls were wood paneled on the bottom and red on top with fine wood doors every few feet. There were many others trying to hide their expressions of wonder. Rikku didn't bother trying to hide her amazement, though her mother was constantly reminding her to show no emotion. "Emotion is for the poor" had become her mother's mantra.

Rikku waited with Arianna and Yuna while Cid went to talk with a bellboy. She looked with interest at the people all around, talking excitedly about the ship.

"Yes, she is quite lovely."

"I think this will be a pleasurable journey."

"Of course, Titanic is the best money can buy!"

Rikku was snapped out of her thoughts by Arianna taking hold of her arm.

"Come, Rikku. We're going to our cabin." Rikku followed after her parents and the bellboy Rikku had seen her father speaking to. She couldn't help but crane her neck every which way as she looked around the magnificent ship. What especially amazed her was the definite steadiness of the ship. They may as well have been standing on solid ground for all the ship swayed.

"Here you are, sir," the bellboy stopped at a door and unlocked it, handing Cid the key afterward. His accent was so obviously English that she turned to grin at Yuna, who had a hard time resisting the sounds of the accent.

"Your luggage will be delivered to you shortly, in the meantime is there anything I can get for you?" he asked politely, his eyes coming to stop on Yuna. Even behind the polite smile, Rikku could see the mischievousness in his bright blue eyes. She liked him already and, judging by her blush, Yuna did too.

"No, thank you," Cid answered abruptly.

"May I ask your name?" Rikku asked quickly.

"Rikku!" her mother admonished, raising a mortified hand to cover her eyes.

"My name is Tidus, Miss," he answered, shooting the tiniest of grins in her direction before returning his eyes to Yuna.

"My name is Rikku. This is Yuna."

"It's very nice to meet you Miss Rikku, Miss Yuna. I'm sorry, but I've other duties to attend to." With that, he turned on his heel and strode down the hall. Rikku glanced at Yuna, who quickly flushed and looked away.

"Rikku, how many times must I remind you?" Arianna sighed. "Never fraternize with the help. It is bad taste."

Rikku rolled her eyes and made her way to the door that she knew led to the room she and Yuna would be sharing.

She let out a gasp of pleasure as she studied the room. It was just as beautiful as the rest of the ship. She wasn't quite sure why she had expected any different, but she had. The room was done in deep red, with a large four-poster bed in the direct center with deep red velvet hangings. There was a writing desk on the right side and a vanity table on the left. Next to the bed was a large bureau. A plushy chair made of wood and red velvet sat by the door. All the furniture in the room was made of the same wood; so deep brown it looked black and polished to a shine. A plush red carpet covered the floor, matching the curtains that covered the porthole window on the side. Next to the writing desk and vanity table were two different dark doors. One was ajar, leading to a bathroom. The other was closed, but Rikku could only assume it led to the hallway. It was a room fit for a princess.

"Oh my," Yuna breathed, having come in behind Rikku to study their new quarters.

"Let's explore!" Rikku exclaimed. She was determined to see the rest of the ship now. Could the entire ship possibly be this beautiful? How much money must it have cost? Yuna nodded in her agreement and they took the second door in the room, the one that led to the hallway.

It wasn't long before they came to a balcony that leaned out over a beautiful atrium with a gigantic chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was a grand staircase leading from the balcony to the floor. The stairs came down from two directions and met with a small landing, which led to another set of stairs that led straight down. On the landing between the staircases was an intricate wooden clock with carvings of angels and such all around it. It was quite breathtaking.

"Let's find the deck!" Yuna exclaimed, taking Rikku's hand excitedly.

By the time they finally finished their exploration of the ship and found their way to the deck, the sun was almost setting. Rikku peered over the side to watch the water rush by, gasping and how far down the water was. A loud horn blared from somewhere, causing both girls to jump.

"What was that?" Rikku asked Yuna, who merely shrugged in response.

"That was the dinner alert," a voice from behind them said, causing them both to jump again. Rikku spun around to come face-to-face with a grinning Tidus.

"Oh, hello," Rikku grinned. "Why do they have such an obnoxious alert?" Tidus shrugged as if to say, 'I only work here'. Yuna stayed quiet, staring at the deck as if a treasure map was carved into it.

"We'd better go, then," Rikku sighed. "If we can find it, that is."

"It would be my pleasure to escort you," Tidus said with a quirky grin.

"Thank you!" Rikku exclaimed, digging her elbow into Yuna's side.

_At least act human, for God's sake! _She thought in exasperation. They followed Tidus' brisk pace through the ship in almost total silence, which was a first for Rikku.

Tidus led them down the grand staircase they'd seen earlier and across the atrium to a pair of double doors.

"Here's where I'll leave you," he said, giving a small, sarcastic bow and disappearing into the crowd. A smiling doorman opened the doors for them, admitting them into the dining room. Again, it was breathtaking. Rikku saw her parents sitting at a table with three people she didn't recognize. Two of them looked to be around her parents' age, what with their graying hair and hoity-toity attitudes. The third had his back to her. He wore what appeared to be military blues, his long black hair pulled into a low ponytail.

"There they are," she pointed out to Yuna and started across the hall.

"Ah, excellent. Rikku, Yuna, I'd like you to meet some of my friends," Cid said as soon as he saw them. "This is my daughter, Rikku and my niece and ward Yuna." He gestured to the older couple. "This is Henry and Andrea Masamune. I know Henry from college."

"Pleasure to meet you," Rikku and Yuna murmured politely.

"And this is their son, Major Auron Masamune." Rikku turned to greet the black haired man, only to look into the face of the most beautiful man she'd ever laid eyes upon. His skin was an even tan color, his facial features sharp and perfect, but that wasn't what really caught her attention. What really got her were his eyes. They were deep russet, holding strength, intelligence, and confidence, staring back at her. The entirety of the Titanic couldn't compare to the beauty that was he.

"Rikku, don't be rude. Say hello," her mother hissed with what Rikku assumed was a tight smile. She couldn't really be sure, because she couldn't bring herself to look away from the wonderful specimen in front of her.

"Hello. It's wonderful to meet you," she breathed quietly. He nodded.

"You as well, Miss Rikku." His voice was nearly as spectacular as his eyes. It was tinted with a southern accent, deep and smooth, a tone that demanded attention and praise.

A black eyebrow quirked over the russet eye.

"It's quite impolite to stare," he said conversationally. She realized her eyes hadn't left his face since she had

first looked at him.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" Rikku looked away at last, sitting next to Yuna, who not so subtly elbowed her in the ribs. When she dared to glance in the major's direction again, he still looked slightly amused. She stared back down at the table, feeling a mix of embarrassment and anger. So she found him attractive, it didn't give him the right to act so arrogant! She let out a small huff of breath, deciding then and there that she didn't like him at all. When her food came, she ate as quickly as was appropriate and excused herself.

She found her way up to the deck of the ship again. It was completely dark out now, and cold, but she couldn't be bothered to find her way back to her cabin and then all the way back up. She could endure the cold.

She walked down the length of the deck, trying to ignore the pulling feeling of the dress on the ground. She felt restless. She really needed to move around! She sighed and stopped at the edge of the deck, looking down to the lower deck to see some third class children playing. She smiled, wishing for her own childhood. She missed that time when life had been so easy. Everything had just been, no questions asked. Rikku had found herself questioning everything lately.

"You look restless." Rikku glanced over to see Tidus leaning against the railing next to her with his arms crossed.

"Am I that transparent?" He laughed out loud.

"Why yes, I would say you are. However, I can also say that I know just the place for a party."

"What kind of party?" Rikku asked suspiciously. If it was something snooty and boring she was going to beat him senseless.

"Well, Miss, it may not be up to your stature," he started sarcastically. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then whacked him over the back of the head. He frowned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Are all American girls this violent?" he asked.

"Yes, but I'm the only one daring enough to act upon my violent urges," Rikku said with a grin. "Now, do you honestly think of me that way?" she asked, a bit put out.

"No, not really. You see, if you looked down on those lower then you, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we?"

"Don't say that," she reprimanded.

"I tell only the truth, Miss Rikku. I'm a cabin boy here, and this is the highest I've been in life. Back in London, I was a street urchin, working hard to make sure that those I promised my protection to wouldn't die. I'm headed to America to make something of myself."

"What makes you think you'll have any more luck in New York then you had in London?" she asked, curious. He glanced at her.

"I don't know Miss Rikku, but I have to try, don't I?" She wasn't sure what to say. Rikku herself had never been in such a position. Her family had been wealthy as long as she could remember. She'd always had it very easy and she knew that.

"You could always get yourself adopted into a good family," Rikku said before she could stop herself.

"Excuse me?" Tidus asked, looking offended.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to be offensive. That's Yuna's story," she amended quickly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking curious.

"Yuna is my cousin, the daughter of my father's sister. My aunt married…below her station. My father disowned her in shame. I hardly ever saw Yuna, but from what I know of her family, they were very poor, but happy. They loved each other very much. Yuna's parents died a few years ago, and my family took Yuna in. My father always insisted that Yuna shouldn't be punished for her parents' mistakes. So she went from barely surviving to a spoiled rich girl. Like me, I suppose." Tidus looked thoughtful.

"I would never have guessed," he said finally.

"She's the sweetest, most humble girl you'll ever meet. She would help anyone who asked it of her, even if it meant her own misfortune." Tidus let out a small sigh and Rikku smiled.

"You fancy her, don't you?" she asked. He grinned at her with a small nod. Rikku grinned back.

"Shall we go collect Yuna and see if this party matches up to our expectations?"

Tidus grinned again. "Let's."

It must have looked odd to the other passengers to see an obviously first class girl strolling along talking animatedly with a worker from the ship. She realized that he no longer wore his pressed black and white uniform, but a pair of brown slacks and a white button up shirt, his suspenders hanging loose around his waist.

"You aren't working anymore," she commented. He laughed.

"No, I get off shift like everyone else. If I were working I can guarantee I'd be scurrying around playing delivery boy to the first class." He paused suddenly, remembering whom he was talking to. "I apologize, Miss Rikku, I didn't mean you…"

"It's all right. I know what you meant," she said. "And please call me Rikku. There aren't formalities among friends." He grinned big again and nodded.

"You really are bad at being first class," he commented.

"My mother tells me so all the time," she sighed.

He laughed out loud again as they made their way into the warm ship and towards Rikku's room.

--

Yes, I gave Auron a southern accent. I'm sorry if ya don't like that, but I do enjoy the thought. So, what do you think? Should I give up now or continue on my quest? Let me know, kay?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

_Rikku, Thursday April 11, 1912_

As they approached the cabin door, Rikku held a finger up to her lips to signal Tidus' silence and rapped on the door that led to her room.

"One moment!" she heard Yuna's voice call.

"Ma'am, I'll have to ask you to hurry! There is trouble with the ship, I'm afraid we may have sprung a leak!" Rikku called, making her voice deep and authoritative as she could. She heard Yuna's shriek of shock from inside and the door swung open. Yuna stood there, her eyes wide with shock, her brown hair hanging loose around her shoulders. When she saw Rikku and Tidus doubled over with laughter, she let out a little huff and closed the door on them. This only made them laugh harder.

"Come on Yunie, it was only a joke!" Rikku called through the door.

"It's not funny! You know how much Uncle Cid's Titan story scared me!" she called back.

"She's a bit sensitive," Rikku whispered to Tidus.

"Miss Yuna, there is no reason to worry. This ship is unsinkable!" Tidus called. "I've seen every nook and cranny of this fine vessel and there is no way she would ever spring a leak." Rikku grinned at him, knowing A, that there was no way he could really know that, and B, that Yuna wouldn't be able to resist the sound of his voice. There was a sigh and the door opened.

"What do you want, cousin?" she asked.

"Tidus here has found us a way to entertain ourselves tonight. Are you interested?" Rikku asked with a grin. Yuna's eyes found Tidus and she gave a hesitant nod.

"Very well. Let me pull my hair up…"

"Leave it," Tidus instructed. "It becomes you." Yuna blushed and left the room with her hair down. Rikku, who only put her hair up when her mother forced her to, feigned offense.

"You never listen to me when I tell you to leave your hair down." Yuna shot her a glare and followed Tidus down the hall. Rikku laughed and watched them walk down the hall for a moment before remembering that she didn't know where they were going. She chased them down, making sure to watch where they turned a corner. As she barreled around, she ran into something very solid, knocking her off her feet. The only reason she didn't fall over was because the person she'd run into grabbed her arms and pulled her up right.

"Oh! I'm so sorry; I wasn't watching where I was going…" she trailed off as she looked up into the face of Major Masamune. Again, he looked amused.

"Are you all right, Miss Rikku?" he asked.

"I'm fine, thank you. I apologize." She made way to scoot around him, but he stepped in her path. This made her angry. She had apologized, what more could she do?

"Excuse me," she said tersely, trying to move around him again. Again, he blocked her path.

"Where are you going?" he asked. She leaned her head back so she could look him in the face. He towered over her by at least a foot.

"I hardly think that is any of your business," she snarled.

"Do you say that because you're going somewhere your father would forbid?"

She let out a huff of breath, trying to push past him, way past propriety. He didn't budge.

"You can't stop me from doing what I wish. I'm a grown woman and you are nothing to me. You are not my father, nor are you my husband so you have no say over what I do with my time, and I hardly think that this is appropriate!"

"Excuse me, sir, I'll have to ask you to let her pass." Tidus had come to her rescue. Though he stood a few inches shorter then the major, a fire burned in his eyes that made Rikku feel that he could be dangerous if he so wished.

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" he demanded.

"I'm a steward, sir. Is this man harassing you Miss? Would you like me to alert the Master at Arms?"

"Yes, I think that may be necessary," Rikku answered. The major let out an annoyed sigh.

"It's not necessary. I was just on my way." He finally allowed Rikku to slip past him and continued on his way down the hall.

"What was that all about?" Yuna asked.

"I honestly have no idea." They all stood in confused silence for a long time before Tidus grinned.

"Well, no point in worrying now. Let's be off." They started back down the hall again until they reached the elevator.

"Tidus!" the attendant exclaimed. "Who are these lovely young ladies? You've scored yourself some first class girls?"

"They may be first class, but they can understand every word you're saying," Tidus grinned.

"Ah, of course. My apologies ladies." The elevator went down several levels and when they left it, Rikku was shocked to find blank white walls. She looked around.

"Are we still in the passenger section?" she asked.

"Of course we are. I could get in a lot of trouble if I brought you to a restricted area. This is third class."

Rikku was shocked by the lack of décor. She'd assumed the entire ship was as grand as the first class. Everything down here was stark white and plain.

They went down another staircase, which Rikku noticed had a collapsible locked door to one side.

"What is that for?" she asked. There was nothing of the sort in the first class section. Tidus hardly even glanced at it as they walked past.

"It's incase the ship sinks," he said thoughtlessly.

"The abandon ship goes first, second, third class, women and children first. Stewards like myself are to lock the doors should we have to evacuate to keep the deck from flooding with lower class passengers." Rikku was shocked with this knowledge.

"That's perfectly barbaric! If the ship is going to sink, I hardly think it matters which class is in which boat!"

"You say that, Mi…Rikku, but not many others would. Not that it matters. The Titanic is unsinkable. The floodgates, passenger gates, and lifeboats are merely there because of maritime laws. God himself could not sink this ship." He spoke with such confidence in the ship Rikku had to believe him. Yuna however, spoke differently.

"You shouldn't challenge God," she said quietly. He smiled at her.

"We are perfectly safe, Miss Yuna. Even if, by some mad miracle, Titanic were to sink, I wouldn't let anything happen to you." Yuna smiled and flushed at the same time. They turned down another hallway and Rikku could hear the faint sound of music. The farther they walked, the louder it became, until finally, Tidus threw open a door and they were confronted with a mad house.

People were all jammed into the room. The smoke was visible in the low light and there was loud music and much dancing. Rikku was excited. She'd never seen such a party before. Everything she had ever attended with her parents had been stuffy and boring, but not this. This looked fun! She rushed right into the thick of it, finding a dancing partner easily. The man was easily Irish and very kind. He taught Rikku that dance the rest were doing and she found herself having fun. So much more fun then she could ever remember having.

They were now doing a dance that made the girl to spin over to the next man, so she danced with several different partners. She laughed as she spun from person to person. It was exhilarating, to be so free. She thought that it might be worth it to be third class if one was allowed to have so much fun. She spun to another, taking his hand and looking up to face him. She gasped in shock and stopped dancing as she looked up into the face of Major Masamune. She didn't move, staring at him until someone bumped into her and he pulled her out of the way of the dancing people. His mouth moved, but she couldn't tell what he was saying. She shook her head and made to move away. Had he followed her? His grip on her arm was tight, not allowing her to move away. He leaned down so his mouth was right next to her ear.

"So, this is where you were going. I must say, I hardly think your father would approve."

"Are you going to tell him?" she asked. She wasn't accusing, just curious. What exactly was it that he wanted with her?

"On the contrary, I had been going to ask you myself, but I do believe you were going to call the authorities."

She felt her heart rate pickup at the thought that he had wanted to spend time with her. She then immediately scolded herself, reminded of how arrogant he was. He must have felt her tense, because he continued to speak.

"I realize I must have made quite an ass of myself and I wish to apologize. I would be delighted if you would join me for dinner tomorrow." Rikku froze, unsure of what to do. She wasn't quite sure what his intentions were, but if he was trying to apologize, how could she deny him the right? The manners her mother had beat into her head since birth wouldn't allow her to refuse.

"Very well, then," she answered finally. He pulled away, kissed her hand, and disappeared into the crowd. She gasped, in a daze from the events that had transpired. A few minutes later, Tidus and Yuna appeared.

"The word is out that the party is about to be broken up," Tidus shouted. "I should get you girls back to your own section of the ship!" Rikku merely nodded, running off after them through the crowd. She had to push through many people and apologize on several occasions before she was out of the room. Tidus and Yuna were waiting for her, their hands clasped. Rikku glanced at them and raised her eyebrow a bit. Yuna blushed, but Rikku noticed she didn't release his hand.

"So, an eventful night, wasn't it?" she asked. Yuna nodded.

"That was some fun, wasn't it?" Tidus asked with a grin.

"The best night of my life," Rikku answered honestly.

Her mood diminished when they entered their room and found Rikku's parents waiting for them.

"Is something wrong?" Rikku asked.

"No, not at all. We wished to speak with you Rikku." She had a sudden break out of nerves. Whatever it was, she was sure she wasn't going to like it. Her mother looked far too pleased and that usually wasn't a good thing where Rikku was concerned.

"All right, I'll be out in a moment." Her parents left their room and Rikku turned to change.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Yunie," she sighed.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Yuna said, ever the confident one.

Rikku changed into a peach colored silk nightgown and threw on a dressing gown over it.

"Pray for me," she whispered dramatically to Yuna, who giggled, before entering her parent's room.

"Ah, Rikku take a seat," Arianna said with a smile. Rikku suspiciously lowered herself onto the deep red duvet across from her parents.

"What is it?" Rikku asked.

Arianna raised an eyebrow, suddenly looking testy.

"Why do you sound as if we've sentenced you to death?"

"I just have a bad feeling, mother."

Arianna sighed.

"You're so difficult. You shouldn't feel bad at all, we've got wonderful news for you!"

"Ari, maybe you ought to slow down and actually explain things," Cid said. Arianna beamed at her husband and turned back to Rikku.

"You know my friend Kari Thorne, correct? She had a son, do you remember?" Rikku nodded, still feeling suspicious. Why would her mother want to talk to her about a woman she'd met only once before? If Rikku remembered her son correctly, he'd been arrogant, obnoxious, and even a little bit mean. "He's a fine boy, her son, and he just graduated Dartmouth. He's going to be a lawyer."

"A fine station in life, that is," her father added. Rikku's heart was filling with dread. What were they getting at? Why did she care about this woman's son? What did it matter to her whether he was a lawyer or a street rat?

"Just the other day, your father received a letter from Gippal," Rikku took that to be the son, "and he has asked for your hand. After much deliberation, we have decided you will accept." Rikku felt her entire world tip over.

"_You've_ decided that I will accept?" she repeated. How could they decide anything for her, especially something so important as marriage? Because they had power and she had none.

"Isn't it wonderful?" her mother gushed.

"No!" Rikku exclaimed. "It's not wonderful! It's awful. How can I be expected to marry one I don't love?"

Rikku's mother laughed out loud. "Love? What does marriage have anything to do with love?" The worst part was that she was completely serious.

"Marriage has everything to do with love!" Rikku exclaimed.

"You are so naïve, my daughter. Marriage is about getting you set in a good station for life. Marrying rich will set you up for life!"

"I don't care about marrying into wealth! I'd marry poor for love!" Rikku argued back. Her mother shook her head.

"You don't know what you say, dear. We're doing what's best for you. Don't you worry your silly little head. When we reach New York, you're going to accept his proposal and that is final. One day you'll thank me for this. Who knows, you might actually fall in love with Gippal."

Rikku let out a shriek of fury and exited the room, slamming the door behind her. Yuna sat on their bed, her eyes wide.

"I won't do it," Rikku insisted. "I won't marry someone I don't love. I'll throw myself overboard first."

"Don't be so dramatic," Yuna sighed. "Killing yourself won't do you any good." Rikku let out a huff of breath.

"Lets see if you say then when they set you up with someone you don't know or love," she hissed. Yuna paled at the thought. Rikku crawled into bed and faced the wall, staying completely silent until sleep overtook her at last.

----------------

A/N: Sorry, I could not resist the Gippal thing. I had to throw a wrench into the relationship right off the bat. It's kinda what I do…Reviews are wunnerful!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

_Yuna, Friday April 12, 1912_

When Yuna awoke, she couldn't remember where she was. A hotel in London, perhaps? But, no, she was on a ship. The Titanic. It sailed so smoothly, it was nearly impossible to remember they were in the middle of the Atlantic. She glanced over at Rikku's sleeping form, slipping out of bed and dressing quietly as not to wake her. She felt bad for the way she'd acted so nonchalant about Rikku's new betrothal. Rikku had obviously been upset and Yuna had merely written her off. The worst part was when Rikku shoved it back in face and Yuna was hit with reality. It was likely that Uncle Cid and Aunt Arianna would be choosing her husband as well. Yuna had been raised with the notion that she would marry for love, but if she chose to marry poor, she would be disowned by the only family she had left, just as her mother had been. Would it be worth it? It had been worth it for her parents, but what if Yuna herself made a mistake?

She shook the thought from her head and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. She tried to remember her way through the halls to the dining room, pleased when she found it in such a short time. She entered and looked around, realizing with a sinking heart that she knew no one.

"Over here, hun!" a voice called. Yuna looked over to see a rather large busted woman sitting at a table, waving her hand over her head. Yuna blinked for a moment and looked around to see if anyone else was reacting to the woman's calls. When she saw no one, she turned back and pointed at her chest.

"Yes, you, come here, darling." Yuna made her way to the table. "You looked alone, and I'm alone, so why don't you join me?" she boomed. She was loud and boisterous, but she seemed nice enough. Yuna took a seat.

"This is very kind of you…"

"Nonsense, darling! I enjoy company, and I must admit, there aren't many who enjoy my company on this ship. They're all too worried about what it would look like to dine with one as lively as myself."

"I find it quite refreshing," Yuna admitted, lowering her voice. The woman leaned in to listen. "I've found that most of the first class are quite two faced and I can't say that I enjoy keeping their company very much." The woman let out a booming laugh.

"I like you, girl. You've got gumption! The name is Lulu. Lulu Brown."

"My name is Yuna. It's very nice to meet you."

After her meal with Lulu, Yuna made her way out toward the deck. She had greatly enjoyed her conversation with the energetic woman. Many people had shot them disgusted looks as they chatted, but Yuna had found that she really couldn't have cared less what the others had thought of them. It was nice, to not have to worry about everyone else. She hadn't felt that way since her father had died.

She wasn't quite sure what to do with herself, so she just walked, going up on side of the deck to the bow and then down the other to the stern. She did so several times, thinking about anything that came to mind. Most prominent in her thoughts were those of Tidus, the steward. She'd had strange feelings ever since his beautiful cerulean blue eyes had looked into her own. She felt a strange desire to know everything about him.

That wasn't very likely with the way she'd been acting around him, though. She found herself quite incoherent when in his company, something that disturbed her all on its own. Still, they had spent time together the night before and she had found herself relaxing and even speaking to him. He was a wonderful listener, making her feel like everything she said was the most important, fascinating thing he'd ever heard. Yuna found herself wishing that she could spend all her time with him. It wasn't to be, unfortunately. He had duties to attend to and she wasn't supposed to 'fraternize with the help'."

Still, she couldn't help but wish.

Rikku awoke to the bright sun flooding through the porthole and across her face. She blinked in disorientation, wondering for a moment where she was. When the events of the previous day flooded back to her, she wished that she were still sleeping. She would rather sleep her entire life away then face what had been revealed to her the night before. How could her parents expect her to marry Gippal? How could they so something like this to her? It was unjust!

She glanced at the small timepiece she kept on a chain around her neck. It was nearly noon. She gasped in wonder, amazed that she had slept so long. Amazed that she had been allowed to sleep so long. Her parents must have felt the slightest bit of remorse for the way their conversation had gone the night before. Still, Rikku wasn't foolish enough to believe that they would change their minds. They would merely put all their energy into trying to convince her that they knew what they were doing. Well, she wouldn't have it. She was _not_ going to marry Gippal Thorne. She would sooner wrap herself in chains and step off the Titanic's deck. Not for the first time, she wished for more understanding parents, parents like Yuna's. But Yuna's parents were dead and Rikku's parents were strict. There was a hardly a point of wishing for what she couldn't have. She dressed in a pale yellow gown with bell sleeves and a square cut neck, the simplest dress she owned. She had many beautiful dresses, but she preferred the simple ones, merely because they were easier to move in without fear of ruining something about them. Her mother would have a fit if Rikku were to accidentally ruin one of her new gowns.

As Rikku approached the door, a brisk knock came from the other side. She didn't know who it could be. She didn't know a soul aboard the ship but for her parents and Yuna, who would have called out to her. She momentarily toyed with the idea of her caller being Tidus in search of Yuna, but quickly brushed the thought aside. Surely he had duties to attend to at this time of day? She opened the door, only to find a young girl waiting outside the door. Rikku wracked her brains, trying to remember if she'd ever seen the girl before.

"Can I help you?" she asked finally.

"You are Miss Rikku?" she asked, her accent clearly Irish.

"Yes. Might I ask who you are?"

The girl looked away. "That's really of no importance Miss. Your mother sent me to wake you. She requests your presence," the girl said.

"Oh," Rikku said, slightly confused. Why was this girl acting as her mother's messenger? "All right. Do you know where I might find her?"

"Follow me," the girl instructed, taking off at a brisk speed down the hall. Rikku shut her door behind her and followed, deciding she would ask her mother when she saw her. The girl led her to a small ladies' parlor just off the main dining room, where a fair amount of ladies were having tea. Rikku could see Yuna seated with her mother and a few other ladies, her eyes trained on the table. Her expression revealed nothing, but Rikku knew that she was upset about something.

Rikku took the seat between her mother and Yuna, watching in shock as her mother handed the girl a dime and sent her on her way.

"Mother, who is that girl?" Rikku asked.

"Don't mind her, darling, she's a third class girl, hardly of any importance. I paid her a dime to go get you. The heavens know it's nearly impossible to get any decent help on this ship."

"Mother! You treated a third class girl as your own personal maid?" Rikku asked heatedly.

"I don't see why you have to take that scandalized tone with me, Rikku. I paid the girl good money, didn't I?" she said pompously.

Rikku glanced at Yuna, whose hands had clenched in her lap underneath the table. Rikku reached out and took one, squeezing it softly and looking away from her mother. She was sure if she cared to look, her cheeks would be slightly red. She'd never been quite so furious at her mother's actions before, but even worse, she was embarrassed. Her mother's carelessness for the well-being, or even the simple humanity, of others was quite lacking. Rikku found herself ashamed merely to be in the presence of such a woman.

This was a new feeling for Rikku. She'd never quite agreed with the things her mother said and did, but she'd never been embarrassed to merely be in the same room. It appeared her mother had reached an all time low.

"If you'll excuse me, mother, I feel that I've quite lost my appetite," Rikku murmured in distaste. "I beg your leave, ladies." Rikku then stood and gracefully made her way from the room. She could hear Yuna apologizing behind her and a moment later her cousin stood at her side.

"Can you believe her?" Rikku raved. "Can you believe what she did? How low, how so very low!"

"I know, Rikku, I could hardly believe it myself. It's not the only thing either," Yuna spoke quietly as Rikku stared over the edge of the ship into the deep blue water, sparkling in the afternoon sun. "She's been publicly scorning Lulu Brown, did you know?" Rikku nodded. "Yes, well, I dined with her this morning and I find her quite a wonderful woman."

"I think my mother is going too far, now," Rikku sighed. "All this grandeur is going to her head. She's acting rashly. I do hope she'll stop, lest I have to slap her in public."

Yuna's eyes went wide as Rikku said this. "You wouldn't do that," she said after a moment of silent deliberation.

"Wouldn't I?" Rikku sighed. "Her behavior is completely unacceptable. The two of us, at seventeen, have more tact then she herself does."

Yuna sighed and hung her head, shoulders slumping from their usually perfect posture.

"I'm afraid I might do something rash if she acts this way the entire voyage."

"Rash like what," Rikku teased, "keeping the company of a ship's steward?"

A faint blush spread over Yuna's cheeks and she nodded minutely. "I imagine I'll do that anyway, cousin," she said coyly. Rikku laughed out loud, her spirits lifting quickly.

"He is quite a looker, isn't he? Anyone with the ability to reduce the great Yuna to mere monosyllables must have some sort of charm."

"He is quite good looking," Yuna admitted. "But it's more then that. He listens to me Rikku, like he cares what I have to say…and he's so sweet, promising me he'd protect me like he did last night. And he's ever the gentleman. Last night at the party, he…" Yuna trailed off.

"He what?" Rikku pressed, leaning closer as if they were conspiring rather then having a pleasant discussion.

"Well, a man _groped," _she whispered grope as if it were an awful swear word, "me last night, and he punched him! Right there, just punched him in the stomach and the man dropped like a pound of bricks."

"Ah, so he's strong, too. It seems, Yunie, that you have found yourself the perfect man, doesn't it?"

Yuna nodded and sighed wistfully, her eyes dreamy. "He's so perfect." Rikku giggled. It was obvious that her cousin was completely and totally gone. Rikku snapped out of her reverie and turned to look seriously at Rikku, taking her hands. "I'm so very sorry about the way I acted last night. It was inexcusable," she apologized.

In Rikku's huff of anger with her mother, she'd momentarily forgotten about her current predicament. She felt slightly nauseous now as she remembered.

"It's all right, Yunie. I've forgiven you all ready." Yuna smiled and hugged her quickly. "Who knows, Rikku. Perhaps your parents will change their minds," she whispered.

"Yes, maybe," Rikku agreed. But they both knew that Rikku's parents would never change their minds. They were just trying to fool themselves, but Rikku's mind refused to be fooled. When she set foot in America, the shackles would be placed. Rikku had only this voyage left to her own free will, and by god, she was going to use it the best she could. Her parents be damned. For this trip, Rikku would do as she wished.

----------------

A/N: And here comes the Rikku we all know and love. Screw what the parental units say, she's gonna get what she wants! You know what I noticed just now? Cid doesn't talk…like ever. Damn that pushy wife of his…


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

_Rikku, Friday April 12, 1912_

Rikku looked at herself in her pale blue dinner gown, her hair loose around her face and sucked in a deep breath. She'd never quite dared to wear her hair down to dinner before. She was a bit scared of facing the wrath of her mother. She reached around and tugged one of the curls resting against her lower back, wondering if she should really tempt fate in such a way. Well, she was losing all her free will as it was, so she might as well go down with the ship. Figuratively, of course.

She took another deep, calming breath, and made her way into her parents' room.

"Ah, Rikku, excellent. Pull up your hair and we'll be off," her mother said briskly.

"No, mother," Rikku answered, fighting the urge to cower as her mother turned to stare at her, eyes flashing dangerously.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" she asked, teeth slightly clenched.

"I mean what I say, mother. No, I will not pull my hair up and no, I am not going to dinner with you."

Complete and total silence. Yuna's eyes widened and she stared at Rikku as if she'd never seen her before.

"Then who, pray tell, are you planning on dining with tonight?"

"I have a prior engagement," Rikku informed her mother. "I will be dining with Major Masamune tonight."

"Will you, now?" her mother growled.

"Yes, I will," Rikku answered, proud that her voice didn't shake and betray her true feelings.

"I hardly think that is appropriate. You are an engaged woman, Rikku, you simply cannot fraternize with other men," she sighed in exasperation.

"I've decided mother, that you are correct. I am a grown woman. I can make my own decisions. I will wear my hair down, I will not marry Gippal Thorne, and I will dine with the major this night. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be getting to dinner."

Rikku swept out of the room, her head held high, shutting the door firmly behind her. She walked around the first corner before she allowed herself to sink against the wall and let out the frantic breaths she'd been hiding the entire time. That had been exhilarating. Not to mention completely and totally terrifying.

"Rikku!" She heard Yuna's voice call out. Rikku glanced around the corner and saw that she was alone. She waved the brunette over. Yuna's eyes were glowing in admiration.

"Rikku, that was amazing! I can't believe you just stood up to your mother like that!" she exclaimed, aghast.

"I feel so powerful," Rikku admitted. "She hasn't decided to lock me out tonight, has she?"

Yuna smiled softly. "She didn't say, but I'll let you in as soon as she's asleep if she does."

"You're the best, Yunie!" Rikku exclaimed as they started off down the hall.

"So explain to me how you came across a dinner date with the major. Yesterday evening you didn't even appear to like him."

"I saw him at the party, and he said he wanted to apologize by having dinner with me. My impeccable manners wouldn't let me refuse."

"You fancy him," Yuna accused, a glint in her bi-colored eyes.

They entered the crowd of people heading into toward the stairs into the dining room, clutching at each other's hands to keep from getting separated.

"I don't know, Yuna. I've hardly exchanged ten words with the man. I can't deny that I find him devastatingly attractive, but I don't know if I've quite reached the point of fancying him."

Yuna grinned, as if she knew better. As they made their way down the stairs, Rikku tried to glance around subtly for the major.

"Do you see him?" she asked. Yuna scanned the crowd before nodding.

"Yes, he's by the pillar on the right side," she murmured. Rikku's eyes instantly swept over to him. He looked much more approachable in a simple black suit then he had the night before in his military attire. As Rikku reached the bottom of the stairs, he made his way over, taking her hand and giving it a small kiss.

"Good evening, Miss Rikku. You look lovely," he greeted. She smiled. "Thank you."

"Miss Yuna, will you be joining us tonight?" he asked politely. Yuna smiled and shook her head. "No, thank you. I merely accompanied Rikku here."

"Ah, I see. Someone of more merit has caught your attention," he said knowingly. Rikku looked at Yuna's who was trying very hard not to look to the left. Rikku glanced in that direction to see what Tidus leaning against the railing upstairs, watching them intently. Again, he was out of uniform, so Rikku assumed he had come here hoping to see Yuna. The two of them were so adorable she just wanted to squeal. She didn't, but she seriously thought about it for a moment.

"I understand completely," he said with a smile. "Shall we go in, Miss Rikku?" He offered Rikku his arm. She slid her arm through his, turning to wink at Yuna before turning her full attention to the man on her arm.

_Yuna, Thursday April 11, 1912_

"Excuse me, fine madam, might I help you find what you are looking for?"

Yuna smiled at the accented voice that was quickly becoming familiar and turned to look at Tidus.

"I believe you just have, good sir," she answered, almost surprised at the audacity she'd managed to muster up to actually speak to him, joke with him, even. The most beautiful smile lit up his face and he offered his arm to her.

"If you would like to accompany me, Miss Yuna, I have something I would like to show you," he said quietly. She was almost melting at every tone of his voice. She had the crazy thought that she might be content if she could just hear his voice every day.

"I'd like that," she answered, smiling as he slipped his hand into hers and led her away from the crowd of people.

The A deck was nearly empty now, most of the people having gone to dinner. Tidus led her across the deck at a quick pace and she had to admit, she was completely bewildered. Where was he taking her? She shivered slightly against the cold night air, wishing she'd have thought to grab a shawl or a fur to keep warm in. She discovered a reason for their quick silence when they reached a door with a small gold plaque that read 'Crew Only'. Tidus glanced around, unlocking the door when he was sure they were alone. He ushered her through quickly, closing the door softly behind him.

She felt a thrill of excitement as he took her hand again and led her up a small set of stairs. She had never really been one for breaking the rules, but now, with Tidus' large warm hand enveloping hers, it felt so right. At the top of the large staircase, he opened another door and put a hand over her eyes with a small grin. The cool night air hit her again and she squirmed, wondering what it might be that he wanted to show her.

"Thanks for this, Frank," Tidus said.

"Don't get caught. It'll be my head on the platter if ya do," the man named Frank said.

Tidus merely laughed and Yuna heard the door shut.

"Are you ready?" His voice whispered right in her ear, causing her to shiver involuntarily. She nodded, voice frozen in her throat. He lifted his hand away from her eyes and she gasped. He'd taken her up to the crow's nest. She could see the entire A deck from above and for miles all around the ocean. The most stunning factor, however, was the stars. They looked close enough to reach out and touch.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, turning to look at him with a smile. Another delighted gasp escaped her lips when she saw the meal he'd set out for them on a blanket. She was almost ready to cry. No one had ever done something so sweet for her before. She came and sat next to him, unable to stop smiling.

"You like it?" he asked, though he didn't really need to. Her emotions were obvious on her face.

"I love it! Oh Tidus, this is wonderful," she murmured. "How did you do all this?"

Tidus laughed, the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard in all her years. "Let us just say that I owe several people hefty favors."

"Thank you so much. You didn't have to do this."

Tidus looked her straight in the eyes. "Yes, I did. You deserve the world, Miss Yuna. I can't give you that, but I can give you this." She was melting into a small puddle; she could feel it.

"I don't need the world," she answered. "My parents only had each other, and they were the happiest people I've ever met. That is all I want." She blushed, realizing she might have been too forward. He didn't seem taken aback, though, so she just smiled.

"Yuna," he said. She loved the way her name sounded when he said it. It sent shivers down her spine and made her want to squeal with happiness. "Would you mind terribly if I were to kiss you?" he asked.

Her throat tightened with nerves and excitement. She'd never kissed a man before. She feared she wouldn't be any good at it. Nonetheless, she titled her face toward his. She caught a glimpse of his smile as he leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft kiss. She returned the soft pressure, realizing that she really shouldn't have been worried about knowing how to kiss someone. It was almost second nature. He pulled away and smiled at her again.

"You might think me crazy, but I do believe I love you," he said quietly. "From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were the perfect girl for me."

It didn't matter that they had hardly known each other for twenty-four hours. It didn't matter that he was a steward and she was a first class lady. Their fates had been sealed the moment they first set eyes on each other.

"I do believe I feel the same way," Yuna breathed as he leaned in once more to claim her lips.

------------

A/N: *squeals* God, I love it. I really see Yuna and Tidus as the type who just, rush right in and go for it, ya know? Auron and Rikku are going to be a little more difficult and I can't hold out on two relationships at once. My brain will explode. Besides, things are going to be rushed. The ship hits an iceberg in roughly three days…so…yeah. Relationships will be rushed, but hey, it's 1912. Love was petty.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Yeah…so this chapter just would not come out. It was terrible typing it up and it sounded so forced and terrible and that's why it's so short. I'm just warning you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

_Rikku, Friday April 12, 1912_

After they had ordered, the conversation began to lag. It was almost awkward to be alone with him in the silence. Rikku was used to some sort of conversation going on at all times and she was having trouble not fidgeting.

He would take a sip of wine and she would smile and look away. The sounds of other people's conversation and cutlery on china surrounded them. She noticed there was a loose thread on the tablecloth, the only lack of perfection held on the entire ship. Every once in a while he'd clear his throat as if he were about to speak, but then nothing would happen, almost like he changed his the food came, they both focused upon it, only polite conversation passing between them. Rikku wasn't quite sure why things were so awkward. She usually had no problem saying exactly what was on her mind. Maybe his stoic silence intimidated her? He did seem like the kind that only spoke when it was necessary, whereas Rikku herself chattered incessantly. Or so her mother said. Finally, Rikku couldn't take it anymore, so she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"My mother didn't want me to come tonight," she said. He looked up from his food, an eyebrow quirked.

"Oh? And might I ask why not?"

Rikku sighed in exasperation. Why had she brought this up of all things?

"Well, I an only child and I'll be eighteen soon, and my mother is starting to go a bit mental. She's preparing a debutante ball and it's all getting really out of hand…"

"You're not interested in being presented to society?" he asked with an amused smile.

"Not particularly, no," she admitted. "On top of that, they are trying to force me to marry a man I don't love, let alone know."

He looked serious now. "You are betrothed?"

"I would be if my parents had any say in what I do with my life," she said. "However, last night I decided that as an adult it is my responsibility to make my own decisions and I will not marry unless I love someone. It is as simple as that, really."

He nodded. "I must say, I agree with you, Miss Rikku." She had to admit, she was a bit shocked.

"I'm sorry…what?"

"I agree with you. You seem to be quite an intelligent girl, I don't see why you shouldn't be able to make such important decisions yourself."

Rikku smiled, recovering from her shock. "You are a smart man," she declared. "Possibly the smartest and most sensible I've ever met."

"I'm flattered that you think so, Miss Rikku."

"Yesterday I was quite convinced that you were an arrogant jerk, but I'm beginning to think I might have judged you too harshly." He let out a deep chuckle, looking at her in amusement.

"You have no secrets, do you, Miss Rikku?" She flashed him a small smile.

"Of course I have secrets, major. Just because I share a lot doesn't mean I don't keep some things for myself. I do, however, feel it is necessary to speak my mind."

He nodded, taking another sip of wine. "Of course. If you don't speak your mind, how are we to know what you are thinking?"

"Well, major, in this day and age, many men seem to believe the thoughts of women are not worth listening to."

"I concede your point. However, I think I must tell you that I am not most men."

She nodded and smiled more widely. "I do believe you've shown me as such, considering that you let this conversation continue as it has. Many I have met seem to believe that I should be seen and not heard."

He chuckled, a deep, low sound. "With all due respect, Miss Rikku, I can hardly believe there is a moment in which you are not heard."

"Are you accusing me of being loud?"

"No, Miss, of course not. Who could ever imagine such a thing?"

She pouted at him. "Sarcasm doesn't become you."

Very abruptly, he stood and offered a hand to her. Her eyebrows rose in confusion as she stared at the offered hand.

"What are you doing?"

"I do believe the atmosphere is stifling. Perhaps a stroll of the A deck might be a more worthwhile venture?" Rikku wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried that he too had noticed the lack of communication throughout the meal. Nonetheless, she took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. It was so cold outside that she could see her breath as they walked. She wished she'd have thought to bring a shawl or other matters to keep herself warm. Her skin was prickling with goose pimples and her teeth chattered slightly, but she tried not to let it show. Still, the major seemed to notice. Without even a second thought, he whipped off his jacket and set it on her shoulders. She gratefully slid her arms through the sleeves and tightened the jacket around herself. It smelled of some wonderful spice, just as she imagined he himself would smell.

"Thank you," she murmured, letting the sleeves fall past her hands and bunching her fingers in the cuffs.

"We can't have you freezing, can we? Whatever would your mother think?" he teased. She had to fight back a snort of laughter.

"After what I said to my mother this evening, I hardly believe she'd even care."

He raised a broad eyebrow, looking skeptical. "Do you honestly believe that?"

She shrugged. "I can't really say I know what my mother is capable of anymore." She suddenly had the feeling she was revealing too much. A change of subject was in order. "So, major, I notice that you have a bit of an accent. Where might you be from?"

"I might be from Tennessee," he answered teasingly.

"Oh?" she asked. "How does a man from Tennessee end up all the way in England?"

"My grandmother originally hales from England. She hadn't been doing well and I decided to use my leave to pay her a visit. She died a fortnight ago and I decided that it was time to go home."

She nodded. "I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." They were quiet for a long moment as they strolled along before he spoke again. "And what about you, Miss Rikku? Where are you from?"

"I am from New York," she answered.

"And your reason for coming to England?" he asked.

"We came to collect my cousin Yuna. Her parents died just recently and she was left an orphan. My father agreed to take her in, but she couldn't afford to come out, so we had to go to her. My mother was not at all pleased, so my father bought us passage aboard the Titanic to quiet her complaining. I must admit, though, it really didn't help much. She still complains about everything and then some." He let out another deep chuckle. "You certainly are honest."

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response," she informed him. He merely laughed and she enjoyed the sound as they continued on their walk.

It was past midnight when Rikku finally returned to her room. Much to her delight, the door actually opened when she tried it. Yuna was stretched across their bed, seemingly asleep, but Rikku could see the sparse light from the hallway reflecting off her eyes. As soon as she had the door closed behind her, Yuna sat up and switched on the lamp. Rikku watched her in amusement, perfectly aware by the dreamy look on her cousin's face that she had news.

"Oh, Rikku, Tidus is so wonderful!" she gushed.

"Tell me all about it while you help me with my dress," Rikku instructed. Yuna jumped out of bed and began undoing the buttons on the back of Rikku's dress, pushing her hair over her shoulder and out of the way. She chattered away as her fingers worked.

"Tidus took me up to the Crow's Nest and he had a picnic set out for us," she gushed. "He's so sweet and thoughtful and funny. I'm in love with him, Rikku."

Rikku glanced over her shoulder at her cousin. Yuna looked happier then Rikku had seen her in a long time, her bi-colored eyes sparkling, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

"I'm really happy for you, Yunie." Yuna let out a wistful sigh and started on the laces to Rikku's corset. The blonde let out a deep breath as the torture device was loosened and she was able to properly breathe for the first time since that morning.

"How did things go with the major?" she asked, stepping away and allowing Rikku to undress. She dutifully pulled a nightgown from the dresser and handed it over to her cousin.

"I don't know, really. For a long time we didn't really have anything to say to each other. It was…awkward. Eventually, though, we ended up on the deck and the conversation was nice. He's a fine man, funny in a sarcastic way and very serious at the same time. I will admit I enjoyed being in his company. I've never been so glad to have defied my mother." Yuna squeezed Rikku's hand and smiled.

"That's very nice Rikku…but I think maybe you should tone your defiance down some. You wouldn't want to cause a rift between you and your mother, would you?" Rikku almost rolled hey eyes as she climbed into bed.

"Think nothing of it, Yuna. I'll handle my mother, not to worry."

Yuna sighed quietly and climbed into bed as well.

"I just hope that you're thinking through the consequences of your actions," Yuna sighed quietly.

"Don't worry, Yunie. I have it all under control."

Rikku only wished she felt as confident as she sounded.

At that very same time, two men sat conversing in the card room, one a redhead with a cigar clenched between his teeth, the other a large man with hair so black it looked blue.

"She most certainly is a fine vessel, isn't she captain Wakka?" the blue-haired man said, more as if he were stating a fact rather then asking a question.

"Yes, I would say so Mr. Kimahri. We've already brought her up to twenty-one knots. She sails like a dream."

"You say that…yet I have noticed something. You haven't lit the last four boilers…" Kimahri said, almost conspiratorially.

"Ah, yes. I didn't think it was necessary as things were going so well…"

"I wondered if, perhaps, you might speed up this journey. Arrive a day early and really give the papers something to write about…of course, I leave this reasoning all up to your decision and reasoning. Still…it might be something you ought to think about."

With that being said, Kimahri excused himself from the table, leaving the captain to stew over his words.

---------------------

A/N: So…dudes, I'm watching Titanic on TNT as I write this. God, I always forget how powerful this movie is. I never cry, but my chest gets all…floaty and I'm just so moved every single time. It's prolly not a good idea to write this and watch the movie at the same time b/c I don't want to idea steal, but whatever. I don't care. Considering there are only twenty minutes left in the movie, it probably doesn't matter anyway. Review!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

Rikku, Saturday April 13, 1912

The day had gone rather slowly. Rikku's mother had refused to speak to her and her father had confined her to her stateroom as a punishment. Yuna had brought her food both at breakfast and lunch, but only so much entertainment could be found staring out the porthole for hours on end. She'd tried dabbling in some of Yuna's books, but she just couldn't bring herself to sit still long enough to actually concentrate on the words. Thus, she'd spent the last ten hours either sleeping or pacing, and she had to admit, she wasn't too fond of either action at the moment.

This was why she was rather surprised when there was a sharp knock on the door. She stopped her pacing, looking at the door as if she might be able to see through the wood to the other side. A few moments later, the knock sounded again and Rikku, overcome by curiosity, made her way across the room and stood next to the door, unable to open it due to the fact that her parents had locked her in from the outside.

"Yes, can I help you?" she called through the door.

"Rikku? Can you hear me?"

She paused for a long moment, frowning in uncertainty, before answering.

"Tidus? Tidus is that you?"

There was the sound of laughter. "The one and only. Who else could possibly possess the same dulcet tones as myself?"

She could hear Yuna's giggles on the other side as well now, and she just had to smile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We're freeing you, dearest cousin. As it turns out, having friends amongst the stewards can be quite helpful if you ever have the desire to open locked doors."

With that being said, Rikku heard the door's lock click and then it was being opened. Yuna and Tidus stood in the hallway, both looking quite pleased with themselves.

"Mind you, you can't tell anyone I just did that. I'd lose my job for sure and then where would I be?"

Rikku grinned, feeling downright giddy at their blatant disregard for the rules.

"Don't you worry. Your secret is safe with me. What type of woman would I be to turn you in after you risked your job for me?"

"A right cruel one," Tidus grinned with flourish, clipping his ring of key back to his belt. Rikku noticed for the first time that he was dressed in his uniform and was obviously on the job at the moment.

"Excuse me for springing you and running off, but I've got my duties to attend to. I'll see the both of you later." He nodded goodbye to Rikku and kissed Yuna's hand before setting off down the hall at a quick walk, looking as if he actually had a purpose and hadn't been conspiring with two first class teenagers only moments before.

As soon as he disappeared around the corner, Rikku turned to look her cousin full in the face.

"Well Yuna? Is there any specific reason you decided to free me, or have you just decided you want to form a rebellion with me?"

Yuna smiled, looking the tiniest bit guilty, yet incredibly pleased with herself.

"I suppose that would be a little bit of both. You see, I've been thinking about what Uncle Cid and Aunt Arianna are doing to you. Well, to the both of us, really. Anyway, the fact of the matter is, I've decided that your rebellion is the only way that I will ever get what I want. So I've decided to join you. On the other hand, I just spoke with Major Masamune and he expressed an interest in speaking with you."

Rikku almost felt her heart explode with excitement. He wanted to see her? Why did that thought make her want to jump for joy? She kept herself as composed as possible, but she melted under Yuna's knowing gaze. She squealed like a schoolgirl, biting her knuckle to quiet the noise.

"Where was he, Yuna? Well…I suppose I don't want to just rush off and find him, that would seem too desperate, wouldn't it? But if I take too long, will that seem rude? Oh, and I'm hardly in any condition to be leaving the room…Yuna what do I do?"

The spunky blonde was nearly hysterical at this point. It was a good thing that clear-headed Yuna was around to keep her sane.

"Come, back inside!" Yuna instructed. "We'll get you looking like a decent lady and down to the dining hall…"

"But Yunie, if I go to the dining room Mother will most definitely see me! Being rebellious won't do me a bit of good if I get caught in the act straight away!"

Yuna shook her head calmly, pushing Riku into their room and closing the door behind her.

"You don't listen very well. I do believe I said dining hall, not dining room. Tonight, we will be dining in third class in order to avoid Aunt Arianna."

Rikku grinned, so pleased that her cousin had thought of everything. Rikku kept the same dress she'd been wearing, considering the fact that the third class passengers likely wouldn't care if she were dressed in a dinner gown or a burlap sack. Yuna set about brushing her long blonde hair, carefully not yanking on the curls too harshly. It seemed an eternity before Yuna deemed her fit for public.

Pulling on a pale blue overcoat, she followed Yuna down the hall. She wasn't exactly sure where the third class dining hall was. She had never actually thought to question where they might eat, though it was obviously not in the main dining room with the first class passengers. They took the lift down to D-deck and followed the flow of the crowd from there. Rikku was a bit surprised by the dining hall. There were somewhere around thirty long tables lined up along a large room, each table seating about fifty people. A food line was along the other wall, seeming to stretch on forever. The whole scene made Rikku think of a prison cafeteria.

"Ah, Miss Rikku, Miss Yuna. I worried I might not be able to find you in a such a crowd." Rikku turned and looked up at the major.

"Please, just call me Rikku," she implored, not liking the sound of the 'miss' in front of her name.

"Very well, Rikku. Then you shall call me Auron. I hope I wasn't too forward in collecting plates for the both of you. I thought that might be preferable then waiting in such a horrendously long line."

"Yes, thank you," Yuna said politely with a small smile.

Their meal was had without much talking, though it was not for lack of trying. Over the din of everyone else in the room, they soon realized having any sort of conversation would be nearly impossible. So, instead, they waited until they were done eating and back strolling along the B-deck to have an actual conversation. Yuna was only with them for ten minutes before Tidus showed up, back to his off duty clothes, and whisked her away. None of them really minded the interruption all that much.

"So," Riku spoke as they strolled, watching her breath puff in front of her face. "Is there a specific reason you wished to see me tonight? I must admit, I'm quite curious."

He gave a gallant shrug, his hands deep in the pocket of his overcoat.

"In all honestly, Mi-Rikku, I did want to ask you about something, but really I just enjoy having you around.

He didn't look at her when he said this, giving Rikku the acute impression that he wasn't used to admitting such things aloud.

"I enjoy being in your company as well. What is it that you wish to talk to me about?"

He was quiet for a long moment, gathering his thoughts as they walked, passing very few people on their way. "I spoke with your father today."

Rikku raised an eyebrow, turning to look at her companion.

"My father? Whatever about?" she frowned.

"He…requested that I not see you anymore, something about our continued contact being bad for both our reputations. I don't know how you feel about the matter, but I honestly don't have much of a reputation to uphold."

Rikku clenched her fists angrily. "Ugh! That makes me so angry! I can't believe he'd go behind my back about something like this! I'm really sorry, Auron. If it's worth anything, I don't plan on discontinuing contact with you. I find your company rather pleasurable and I shudder to think what I might be doing if not spending my spare time with you."

She wondered if she had sounded too forward, but he didn't say anything, so she shrugged off the thought. She sighed quietly.

"I do believe I told you last night that my parents have decided to betroth me to a man I've never met. I have absolutely no intention of going through with it, even if that means I must run from my parents and make my own way. Somehow, I'll manage if I must."

His brown eyes studied hers for a long moment before he smiled and shook his head.

"You're a brave girl. I too have recently made a decision that I know my parents will not agree with." Intrigued, Rikku looked at him in curiosity.

"Oh?" she prompted.

"Yes. I have…decided to retire from a life in the military. After spending so much time with my grandmother, hearing all the stories of everything she did merely because she was a free spirit…it makes me want to see the world in some other way then as a soldier. When the Titanic docks in New York I am going to part ways with my parents and…I suppose I'll decide what to do then. I'm not going to live by any sort of schedule or plan…I will simply…be."

It sounded like such a wonderful dream. Rikku desperately wished to be a part of it, but she knew she couldn't invite herself along. He would deal with his life and she with hers. She hadn't realized that they had both stopped and were staring intently at each other. They stood so close she could see the pattern of the stitching in his jacket. She suddenly had the strangest desire to kiss him, though she knew that she shouldn't. He took another step toward her, a hand come up to cradle her cheek. A small gasp of breath escaped her lips and she tilted her head back, offering her lips up to him. He leaned toward her and her eyes had just slipped closed when she heard a shout.

"Rikku! Rikku, come, we must go!" Yuna appeared in front of them, Tidus close at her heels, looking panicked. "Your mother is headed back to the stateroom, possibly as we speak! I'm having Lulu distract her, but she can only keep it up for so long. We need to go, now!"

Silently cursing the world around her, Rikku looked apologetically at Auron.

"I'm really sorry. I have to go. I'm sorry."

"Rikku…I don't understand…"

She looked at Auron, Yuna, and then Auron again.

"I don't really have time to explain. I'm just…not supposed to be here right now. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow, though, right?"

She barely waited to see him nod before dashing off after Yuna. They pushed through people without bothering to apologize for their rudeness. As they made their way, Rikku could see her mother through the glass of the deck, heading toward an elevator. Cursing quietly, Tidus lead them through an employee staircase as a shortcut. The pair dashed into the room, listening to Tidus lock them in before Rikku ripped off her dress and had Yuna help her with the corset. She'd just yanked her nightgown over her head when there came a gentle knock on the door before it opened to reveal Arianna. She looked in at them before snapping the door shut tightly. Rikku assumed that meant she wasn't yet forgiven for her actions the night before. Not too surprisingly, though, she found that she didn't care. She'd had a wonderful, if not short, time with Auron that night…and she could tell that things were progressing a way she might have never imaged. But she welcomed the unknown, ready to plunge headfirst into it. As she drifted to sleep that night, all she could think about was the image if him leaning toward her to claim a kiss. If only they hadn't been interrupted.

---------------

A/N: Yeah…so I watched Titanic again tonight. I know I said that in the last author's note…but I wrote that three months ago, so it really is a big deal. Guess what? I cried for the very first time while watching that movie. I'm not exactly sure why, but I blame sleep deprivation and the fact that I was at a funeral this morning. Okay. I hope you liked it, even if it was a bit short. I'm exhausted and I have church in the morning so…yeah. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer. By the way, please excuse me if I write Riku instead of Rikku. I've been writing a lot of Kingdom Hearts fanfiction lately.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

Rikku, Sunday April 14, 1912

After morning services, Rikku and Yuna had unwillingly been pulled into a tour of the ship by Rikku's parents. Apparently, the two had caught wind that Yuna was spending much of her time with a steward and they were bound and determined to make sure neither of the girls had any time in which they weren't being watched. They'd been walking around the ship for a good three hours, learning about every nook and cranny of the first class section of the vessel.

"I don't understand why these lifeboats are here," Arianna spoke up toward the end of their tour. "Doesn't it seem like a waste of deck space, considering that the Titanic is unsinkable?"

Their tour guide laughed and slapped the side of one of the lifeboats affectionately.

"That is true, but it's a maritime law for us to have them. As it is, the shipbuilder requested that another row of boats be added, but he was eventually worn down. These boats each hold sixty-five people."

At this point, Rikku found it necessary to speak up. "But, sir…I've only counted seventeen boats across the entire ship. If they can each hold sixty-five passengers, that adds up to…" Rikku paused, rechecking the math in her head. "about 1100…surely there are more people aboard then that?"

The guide smiled at her as if she were a stupid child. "That is true, miss. There are 2200 aboard, but the lifeboats are only a precaution. The Titanic is unsinkable."

Rikku shook her head in disgust. "She's made of iron. She can sink."

With these as parting words, she took Yuna's hand and led the girl away from the group. Much to Rikku's surprise, her mother said nothing as they left the vicinity.

"I don't understand why everyone is so adamant about Titanic being unsinkable," Rikku sighed. "Surely they can't all be so ignorant?"

"It's the arrogance of man," Yuna replied simply. "They created the vessel, therefore she must be perfect in every way." The sun was drawing close to setting over the horizon, the colors painting the water in various shades of pinks, blues, purples, and oranges. It was quite the breathtaking sight.

"Rikku?" Yuna spoke quietly; almost as if she were afraid of what she was going to say next. Rikku frowned at the tone and came to a stop, taking her cousin's hand and pulling her into an empty room just off the deck.

"What is it, Yuna?" she asked. "You sound disturbed."

Yuna shook her head, her cheeks glowing faintly pink.

"No, cousin, not disturbed…exhilarated more like. I've…made a decision…and I want to know what you think. I won't have my mind changed, keep in mind…I just thought I ought to hear your opinion on the matter before plunging head first into my plan."

Rikku waited, slightly impatient, for Yuna to reveal her grand plan.

"When the ship docks in New York…I'm getting off with Tidus." Rikku could feel her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates as she stared at her usually not-so-compulsive cousin.

"Yuna…what? Really?" Rikku gasped a plethora of mixed feelings in her chest. Yuna nodded, looking both excited and petrified at the same time.

"I love him, Rikku. He's the one I'm supposed to be with, I can feel it! I've always dreamed of finding someone…someone that I loved so much I could throw everything away for, just as my mother did…and I've found that! There is no way that I can just let him slip through my fingers so easily!"

"Yunie…are you sure about how you feel for him?" Rikku asked hesitantly. "Are you sure you aren't just…getting carried away because you want to believe you've fulfilled your life long dream?" She tried to pose the question carefully as not to offend her cousin, but Yuna just continued to smile blissfully.

"Do not worry. I know what it is I'm feeling and I am not disillusioned. I love Tidus and he loves me. I am positive we will be happy together for a very long time."

Rikku, finally convinced by the blissful look on her cousin's face, smiled and hugged the girl. "I'm very happy for you, Yunie. Maybe even a little jealous. You must promise me that you'll write and tell me of all your wonderful adventures." While I toil away in boredom with Gippal.

"Of course Rikku! I'll write every day if I must!" The girls separated and Yuna kissed Rikku's cheek once.

"I must go find Tidus. I have to tell him!" She was gone with a swish of her dress, her face pink with excitement and life.

Rikku really was happy for Yuna, but she couldn't help but feel a bit betrayed at the same time. Yuna had the choice to head off for the horizon at any moment. Rikku…had to stay. Despite all her protests, she knew that she would end up marrying Gippal and living out her life as the quiet trophy wife.

She had no doubt now about Yuna's question from a few days

before. She was devastatingly attracted to Auron and she even admitted it to herself, but she couldn't allow herself to be carried away by her fantasies. She couldn't be with him, even if they both wanted to, because she couldn't bring herself to slander his good name. No matter how much she might want it, she had to be strong. For him.

She just hoped that he would restrain himself. After that near kiss the night before, she knew if he so much as tried again she wouldn't resist and then all would be lost. Because somehow she had fallen hopelessly in love with him.

Yuna, Sunday April 14, 1912

Yuna rushed past the other passengers, her eyes set upon one head in particular. The messy blonde tresses nodding politely at people as they passed. Tidus was playing the part of steward again, his starched white shirt and black pants looking stiff and almost unnatural on him. She couldn't seem to make her feet properly and she kept tripping on the hem of her dress. Finally, in exasperation, she raised her voice and called out his name. He came to a stop, turning to look at her, a soft smile spreading over his features. She approached him, ignoring the strange looks they were receiving from passerby.

"Tidus, I must talk to you, it's terribly important," she said quickly, keeping her voice down a bit. His eyebrows shot up and he nodded quickly, glancing around and then taking her hand and leading her down the hall and into a room labeled 'Crew only'.

Belatedly, she realized how worried he looked and felt a bit guilty for worrying him so. She hoped that her news might make up for the distress she might have caused him.

"Yes, Yuna? What is it? Has Rikku gotten herself into trouble again?"

Yuna giggled at Tidus' assumption and shook her head.

"Not to worry, love," she assured him. "I come bearing only good news."

He looked relieve and then intrigued, bringing a hand up to ruffle his hair as he watched her closely.

"Well then? What is it?" he asked.

"I have decided…that when Titanic reaches New York, I am not leaving with my relatives." Tidus stared at her in confusion, obviously not understanding what she was hinting at. She tried again, feeling the beginning fluttering of nervousness come alive in her stomach.

"Tidus…when we reach New York, I'm staying with you. That is, if you'll have me," she said, all of a sudden not as confident as she had been.

He blinked stupidly for a very long time and she had to fight the urge to run from the room in tears. When a huge grin split across his face, she was very glad that she hadn't.

"Are you completely serious, Yuna?" he asked. She nodded, her own smile returning.

"But…I can't give you the life you have now…I can't give you beautiful things…"

"I don't need beautiful things, Tidus. All I need is love and with you, I have that. As long as you're with me, I'll have the most beautiful thing in the world."

"You're the most beautiful thing in the world," he answered breathlessly, pulling her into a wonderful, heart-warming kiss.

"I love you," she murmured between kisses.

"I know. I love you too."

Rikku, Sunday April 14, 1912

Avoiding Auron had lasted all of two hours until he'd cornered her just around the corner from her suite.

"You're avoiding me," he said bluntly, his even gaze focused on her face. She let out a shuddered breath.

"I…am sorry. But I must, Auron. It…it is what's best."

He made an angry noise that sounded like a mix between a snarl and a growl.

"It is the best for who, Rikku? For you? For your parents? It most certainly is not what's best for me."

She shook her head, fighting the tears threatening to spill over her eyes.

"Yes it is, Auron! I'm doing this for you! I don't want to ruin everything you've done to make something of yourself, it's not fair!"

He looked livid, his brown eyes flashing angrily, small tendrils of hair that had escaped his ponytail sticking to his cheeks.

"I don't care about reputations, Rikku! I don't care about any of that. It's all pointless, don't you see?"

He seized her arms and kissed her firmly on the mouth, completely startling her. At the same time, though, she could feel herself melting in her clothes. He tasted like smoke and whiskey, but also something else, something completely foreign yet delicious. Her hands moved to clutch at his jacket and keep him close before her mind caught up with her and she shoved him away, now unable to stop the tears.

"I can't, Auron. I'm sorry, I can't. I…I am to marry another. It…it's what is expected of me. I'm sorry." She slipped out from under his arm and scurried quickly down the hallway and into her room. She wanted very much to burst into tears, but Yuna was there, looking happier then Rikku had ever seen her. She couldn't bring herself to destroy that. Instead, she changed in silence and slipped into bed, ready for the whole trip to just be over. Her last thought before falling asleep was that she would do anything, anything, to get off the Titanic that night.

Had she known the future, perhaps she might have chosen her words more carefully.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

Rikku, Sunday April 14, 1912, 11:40 pm

Rikku awoke quite suddenly, though why she did not know. Yuna continued to slumber quite contentedly beside her, but something felt wrong to Rikku. She climbed out of bed and looked around for a long moment before she realized what was so different. The deep, constant thrum of the ship's engine had stopped. Why had the engines stopped? Leaving Yuna to her sleep, she dressed quickly and left her room, looking around the hall to see that several others were also looking quite befuddled in their pajamas and dressing gowns. She grabbed the arm of a passing steward.

"What's happening?" she asked. "Why have the engines stopped?"

He smiled at her, looking perfectly at ease. "We've probably thrown the rudder, miss, no need to worry. The problem will be dealt with momentarily. Can I get you anything?" Rikku didn't feel like she shouldn't worry. In fact, she was fairly positive worrying would be the smartest thing to do at the moment. The steward looked at her expectantly.

"No, thank you," she answered. He nodded once before starting off down the hall again. Rikku slipped back into the suite, setting off across the room towards Yuna. She turned on the lights and shook her cousin awake.

"Yuna," she said loudly. "Yuna, you must wake up."

The brunette opened her eyes, gazing up confusedly at her cousin.

"Rikku, what's the matter?" she asked, shielding a yawn and blinking.

"I think something is wrong Yuna. The engines have stopped. Get dressed and we'll go up on deck."

Yuna was suddenly very awake. She jumped out of bed and began pulling on her clothes as quickly as she could. The pair set off for the deck together a few minutes later, immediately regretting the decision when they realized how cold it was outside. Rikku could almost feel herself freezing where she stood.

The crewmen were rushing about, shouting orders to each other and setting up complicated looking machines. Rikku grabbed Yuna's wrist and started toward where she could see a large crowd of passengers. As they drew closer, she could see large chunks of ice littering the deck. A couple men were playing an impromptu game of soccer with one rather rounded piece of ice, laughing like they were a bunch of children. Rikku approached a third class man who was watching in amusement.

"What happened out here?" she asked. "Did you see?" He nodded excitedly.

"A 'uge iceberg came from that way!" he pointing toward the front of the ship. "The ship turned but I think we hit! Anyway, a 'ole bunch a ice came crashin' down on the deck."

Rikku gasped and whipped around to look at Yuna, who had paled considerably.

"An iceberg?" she whispered. "But…Rikku what does that mean?"

The blonde shook her head, her mouth gaping wordlessly. "I don't know, Yunie. Whatever it is, it can't be good. We must go find my parents. We have to tell them what happened."

Yuna clutched her hand tightly, keeping her from moving.

"Rikku…"

"Yuna…I believe that the ship is going to sink. It's not possible to hit a berg and have that much ice on the deck and be just fine."

Yuna nodded and they started off again, down toward the card room where they were sure to find Cid. Women didn't usually venture past the doors of the card room and they received many strange stares as they rushed through the room, looking for Rikku's father.

She felt as if all the weight of the world were resting on her shoulders. She was greatly regretting her decision regarding Auron, she had to find her father, stand up to her mother, keep Yuna from having a breakdown, and on top of all that, she was on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic ocean on the coldest night she'd ever felt, and the ship was potentially sinking. If she survived the night, she figured she'd be entitled to an emotional breakdown.

"Rikku!" Yuna said. "There he is!"

Rikku wasted no time dashing across the room toward her father's bald head.

"Father!" she called out, her hands coming to clasp the back of his chair. He looked up at her, almost shocked to see her there.

"Rikku, Yuna…what is it, what's the matter? You look a fright…"

"Father…the ship…the ship has struck an iceberg," Rikku spoke quickly, trying her best to keep her composure. Cid looked instantly foreboding, but several other men at the table merely laughed.

"Not to worry, silly girl. This ship can't sink!"

Cid, however, stood at once, snapping up his jacket off the back of the chair.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. I must go check on my wife. Come girls." They followed him out of the room quickly, almost breaking into a run as soon as they were on the promenade.

"How exactly do you know what happened, Rikku?" he asked as they went.

"I woke up because the engines stopped. Can't you feel it, father? I was worried, so I went into the hall. A steward said that there was nothing to worry about, but I wanted to see for myself. The crew on deck was in frenzy and there were large chunks of ice everywhere. A man said we'd struck an iceberg."

They'd reached their adjoined suites and Cid unlocked the door hurriedly, only to find that Arianna had slept through it all. He'd just sat back to decide what to do next when a heavy knocking came on the door. A moment later it opened and a steward let himself in.

"Excuse me, sir, I'll have to ask you to dress warmly, put on your lifebelt, and report to the deck."

"Sir…what is happening? Is…Titanic sinking?" Rikku asked, almost breathless in waiting for his answer.

The steward stared at her for a long moment, and she could easily see the answer in his eyes. Yes. Yes, the ship was sinking.

"I can't say I know what you're talking about, Miss. Most likely just a drill. Lifebelts on and up to deck, captain's orders." Cid nodded and the man left.

"Go put your overcoats on, girls," he instructed. "I'll see to your mother."

They made for the next room over and almost instantly Yuna started hyperventilating.

"Rikku…Rikku, what will we do? Everyone said that Titanic couldn't sink. She was supposed to be the safest ship in the world…and now what? What will happen to us now?"

"I don't know," Rikku answered honestly. "But Yuna…I must find Auron. I said some things to him earlier…terrible things. I must apologize. He must know I didn't mean them."

Yuna nodded, noticing Rikku's desperation.

"Of course, Rikku. I'll help you look."

Captain Wakka, Mr. Kimahri, and the ship builder, a man by the name of Baralai, were in the Captain's office, speaking in hushed quick voices.

"What's the damage, Baralai?" Wakka asked, looking tired and stressed.

"Five compartments are filled with water. She won't hold," he said with finality.

"But…the pumps," the captain spoke desperately, knowing the spectacle was his fault entirely.

"The pumps will give us minutes, that is all. She can't stay up with five compartments flooded."

The three men stared at each other in sickening silence, bound by their fates.

"What are you saying?" Kimahri breathed, looking disbelieving.

"She'll go down by the head. Titanic will be at the bottom of the Atlantic in an hour, two at most," Baralai said.

The captain nodded and sighed heavily.

"Everything I ever knew was wrong," he breathed. He left the room swiftly, heading down to find Dona, the ship's messenger. He found her right where he thought he would.

"Dona. I need you to send a message in all directions as far as you can. CQD, we need immediate assistance."

"CQD, sir? Dona asked as if expecting him to correct her foolishness.

"Yes. Tell them we're going down by the head." The captain exited the room quickly, fretting with his own stupidity.

Cid led them all up toward the deck, but they were stopped in the great hall. Apparently, the crew had decided to hold them inside because it was too loud and cold outside. It was all so stupid. Didn't they realize the ship was going to sink? All around her, people were chatting as if nothing was happening, asking stewards and maids for things, heading back to their staterooms in order to fetch jewels and other things that would no doubt make their person sink faster due to weight.

Arianna was one of the people throwing a fit about leaving the room.

"It's so cold out here, Cid!" she complained. "I don't see what all the fuss is about. It's utter ridiculousness, I tell you."

"Mother!" Rikku snapped, losing her temper. "This is extremely serious. Titanic is sinking and there aren't enough lifeboats for everyone! Half the people on this ship are going to die, don't you care at all?"

"Rikku, you're being hysterical," he mother snapped coldly. "No one is going to die, this is just a drill. How many times must we say it? _This ship can't sink_."

"But I'm afraid, ma'am, that she will." Rikku spun around at the sound of Auron's voice from behind her.

"I just overheard the captain speaking with the crewmen. Titanic is going down by the head. They say we have two hours, at most." Arianna merely rolled her eyes.

"Come, Cid, let us go over there. Girls, let's go."

"No mother," Rikku spoke up. Arianna stiffened, turning to look at her with narrowed eyes.

"I'm sorry Rikku, what was that?"

"I…I said no," Rikku whispered. "I…I'm staying with Auron. Because I love him."

There was silence between them before Arianna threw up her hands in exasperation.

"You're being ridiculous. You don't love him; you're just being defiant. You will see your foolishness soon enough and don't cry to me when you finally do. Come Yuna." Yuna, faltered and Arianna let out a cry of annoyance. "Honestly, you too? Don't tell me that you are also in love with this man."

Yuna shook her head quickly. "No. Not him…someone else. I…am in love with a steward. I must find him, Aunt Arianna. I thank you for all that you have done for me, I really do…but I cannot go with you now. I must find him."

Arianna growled angrily at them and turned, striding away, toting Cid along with her. He looked back at them and Rikku met his eyes for a long moment. He didn't agree with what she was doing, but he understood that she had to. Rikku only turned to look at Auron when he was completely gone from her sight.

"I'm so sorry!" she gasped out instantly, moving to clutch at his jacket, noticing that he wasn't wearing a lifebelt.

"I didn't mean any of the horrid things I said earlier. I was being stupid, so very stupid. Please, you must forgive me."

"Did you mean it?" he asked.

"No!" she exclaimed. "Everything I said then was stupid. It was fear…"

"No," he said. "When you said you loved me. Did you mean that?" She blinked up at him for a moment before nodding shyly. "Yes. I love you."

He leaned down and kissed her sweetly for a moment before drawing away and whispering, "I love you, too."

She let out a breath of contentment and hugged him hard before remembering their current predicament.

"What will we do?" she asked.

"We get you on to a boat," Auron said sternly. "The both of you." Yuna and Rikku shook their heads in unison.

"Not without you," Rikku vowed.

"I have to find Tidus," Yuna said determinedly. He looked at the pair of them, identical looks of stubborn fortitude set on their faces.

"I won't change your mind?" he asked Yuna. She shook her head firmly.

"All right, then." He grabbed a passing crewmember's arm.

"Where would I find a steward?" he asked. The man blinked in confusion for a long moment before saying, "Most of the stewards are in the lower decks."

Auron thanked him and they hurried off, finding the nearest lift.

"Take us down," Auron ordered the man.

"I'm sorry, sir, the lifts are closed," the man said, trying to remain pleasant and calm.

"Take us down!" Auron snapped, scaring the man enough to make him push down the lever.

As they reached steerage, freezing cold water began flooding in drenching their feet and making Auron curse. Yuna pushed open the gates and started out. Rikku followed her and Auron behind them. She could hear the lift going back up behind them. They were now in the belly of the gigantic ship, searching for a single person out of twenty-two hundred.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey guys, I'm really sorry that it took so long for me to post this one but I have an excellent excuse. I have been in the hospital for the last few dies writhing in agony over my four-you heard me, FOUR-kidney stones. I don't know if you've ever had a kidney stone, but let me tell you, I've never been in more pain in my life. My ma says they hurt worse then labor. So, uh, yeah...don't be mad. I'm high like a kite on hydrocodone right now and I still hurt...so yeah...enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

Rikku, Sunday April 15, 1912, 12:30 am

"It's so cold!" Rikku exclaimed as they moved, thankful that the water only came up to their feet. She couldn't imagine going on if it were any higher. The place seemed completely deserted as they moved, but they could hear voices yelling farther down the hall. They continued on until they reached a large mass of people crowded on and around a staircase. At the very top, the black gate was drawn closed and locked. People were pressed up against it, screaming and yelling, the words unintelligible due to the sheer amount of voices.

"What are they doing?" Auron snapped. "There are people down here! Are they just going to lock them up to die?" Rikku nodded wordlessly, taking his hand, suddenly extremely scared. She realized that she hadn't been as worried before because of her station. She was a first class female. No doubt there would be room for her on the lifeboats. Now, though, they were stuck down there. Auron growled angrily and began pushing his way toward the tops of the stairs. He pulled Rikku along with him by her hand. The blonde quickly grabbed her cousin's hand as well, and they went up like a chain. Auron reached the gate and grabbed it with one hand, giving it an angry jerk.

"You can't lock us down here like this, we're human beings!" he growled. The steward spoke.

"I'm sorry. Really I am, but it's captain's orders. Women and children first, then the men. If we let you all up now, the decks will be flooded. You'll have to wait patiently."

"Dammit, there are women and children down here!"

Rikku looked back and met Yuna's eyes, certain that they both recognized that voice. The clipped tones of the accent.

"I'm sorry, sir, it's out of my hands…"

"How the hell is it out of your hands? You have the damn keys right there!"

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to please calm down."

Rikku and Yuna pushed past the rest of the people in front of them, Rikku coming to stand beside Auron and Yuna wriggling her way to the very front.

"Tidus," she said, staring at the blonde man who now stared back in a mix of shock, regret, and worry.

"Yuna, what are you doing down here?" he demanded, his voice coming out as barely more then a whisper. "You should be up on deck…you should be on a boat by now…"

"I…I came look for you. I didn't want to leave without knowing that you were okay…Tidus are you really going to leave all these people down here?" she asked.

"I don't want to, Yuna…it's my job…"

When Yuna spoke again, her voice was harsher. "I hardly think that matters, Tidus! You and I both know Titanic is sinking. Does the class distinction really matter? Let us out so we can all have a chance at survival. I was just on deck. Most of the first class is lazing about, not worried at all. If they aren't going to rush to get on a lifeboat, shouldn't these people have a chance?"

Tidus faltered for a long moment before he nodded.

"Of course. Of course you're right. What does it matter if I lose my job? In a few hours my workplace will be nonexistent." He fumbled with his keys, looking for the right one before sticking it into the gate. Just as he did so, another steward came rushing down the stairs.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded. "You know your orders!"

"To hell with orders!" Tidus spat. "We're all going to die if we stay down here following orders!" He unlocked the gate and Auron instantly shoved them open, pushing both girls out before him.

"Come, this way!" Tidus said to them. "We'll take the crewmen's passage, it's quicker." He led them down side passage and they came upon an elevator. He shoved the doors aside and ushered the girls inside.

"The operation is simple enough, all right? Just pull this lever all the way up; it will take you all the way up to A deck." Yuna stared at him hard and he merely stared back. All was silent for a long moment as Yuna shook her head slowly.

"You're coming, aren't you?"

Tidus looked a bit heartbroken as he shook his head.

"It would be pointless, love. Completely disregarding the fact that I'm male, I'm part of the crew. I couldn't get on a lifeboat. It simply won't be allowed. I can do my part, though. I have the keys to most places on this ship. I can unlock the gates. I can give people a chance."

Rikku, still clutching tightly to Auron's hand, thought it was a very noble thing to do. Still, her heart went out to Yuna. At least Auron would stay by her side until the very moment she was put on a boat. Tidus was trusting that Rikku would see to it that her cousin was safe. His cerulean eyes hadn't left Yuna's face, but Rikku could feel it radiating off of him.

"Come Miss Yuna," Auron spoke quietly, trying to keep from sounding insensitive, but sounding urgent all the same. Yuna shook her head slowly, almost imperceptibly.

"Yunie…" Rikku tried, afraid of the words that she knew would soon cross the brunette's lips.

"No," Yuna spoke. Her voice was quiet, but strong and decisive. Her mind would not be changed on the matter.

"Yuna, go with them…"

"No!" Yuna snapped, suddenly not the docile and quiet girl that Rikku was so used to. "No, I won't! I told you earlier, I'm not leaving this ship without you! I won't!" She actually stomped her foot for affect, sending water splashing all over the place. Rikku noticed that it had inched higher, now up to mid-calf. Tidus looked helpless for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Yuna, if I let you come with me now, will you promise me that you'll get on a boat?"

"No, Tidus. I can't leave the ship without…" Tidus cut her off, looking hard at Auron.

"I want you to get her on a boat, no matter what. Carry her if you have to, just do it. Please."

Yuna's eyes widened and she shook her head quickly.

"No! Don't. I'll get on a boat, I promise. Just please…don't leave me yet." Tidus nodded briskly, looking unhappy, but slightly satisfied. Rikku paused, watching her cousin and the steward. She then looked at Auron, who heaved a sigh and massaged the bridge of his nose.

"You won't go without Yuna, will you?" he asked tiredly. Rikku shook her head and Auron sighed again.

"I don't suppose forcibly putting you on a boat would help?"

Rikku shook her head, fighting a smile despite the dire circumstances. "I'd probably jump off once we were lowered to B deck. I can't leave without Yuna, Auron." He sighed and nodded.

"All right. I believe this will be a rather large rescue party, then." Tidus started to shake his head, but with a look from Yuna, he just gave up.

"You are all fools," he sighed. "They're your lives, I guess." He took Yuna's hand and rushed down the hallway. They followed, sloshing water everywhere. Rikku was shivering, her heavy overcoat not doing much to help against the freezing temperature of the water. She couldn't imagine being completely submerged in it. The thought alone made her skin prickle. Most of the gates they passed had no one behind them, but Tidus took the time to unlock them anyway, just in case. The longer they went, the deeper the water got. It was to Rikku's waist by the time they came across a gate with people behind it. She wasn't exactly sure of the time, but if she had to guess, she'd say it had been over an hour since the engines had stopped. She wondered if there were any lifeboats left and, if there were, would there still be by the time they reached the A deck. The steward stationed at the gate had a gun drawn and pushed into the chest of a man behind the gate. Rikku, with an inhalation of breath, recognized him as the Irish man who had so kindly taught her the dance that first night in steerage.

"You can't just hold us down here!" he was arguing. "We've got wee ones! You're killing them, you are."

"I've got my orders," the steward said stiffly, keeping his gun firmly planted. "You're to stay down here."

"Donovan," Tidus spoke up, clamping a hand on the man's shoulder. "Let them out, it's no good now. They'll die if you don't let them out. Do you really want that on your hands?" The steward turned and glared angrily a Tidus.

"You go ahead and throw away your duties when they going gets rough, but I won't! I know what my orders are, and I plan to uphold them!"

"It doesn't matter anymore, don't you see?" Rikku cried, annoyed with the man's pompousness. "You're just being a murderer, denying them even the chance at life! He says there are children down there, children! Are you honestly willing to let them die to uphold your honor?"

The man stared at her coldly. "It would do you good, miss, to hold your tongue. Women are meant to be seen, not heard."

Rikku glowered at him and she heard a low growl from behind her. Auron took a menacing step forward, but the man switched the gun quickly, now having it trained on Auron's chest.

"No foul moves from you. I'm not afraid to plant a bullet in you right now. I'd never get charged for it…" He came to an abrupt stop his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He crumpled to the floor and Tidus set down the fire hose he'd used to knock the man unconscious.

"Let's continue on, shall we?" he said, not caring that the man would drown in moments from his collapsed position, his face under the water. In all honesty, Rikku found that she didn't care either. Auron scooped the gun up and checked to see if the bullets had gotten wet. They apparently hadn't, because he tucked the gun away. Rikku didn't know if he would actually use it, but perhaps it was just a scare tactic. Tidus pulled the newly unlocked gate open, nodding at the flurries of thanks he received.

"Let's keep moving. There're three or four more gates left, though by how fast the water's moving, I don't know if we'll reach them all." The water was about mid-thigh on the men, but Rikku and Yuna were substantially shorter then them.

Auron reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a pocket watch, flipping it open and frowning at the time.

"What time did we hit?" he asked, directing the question to Tidus.

"I'd say a quarter till midnight," he answered with a frown.

"It's almost one o' clock," Auron said quietly. Rikku felt her heart skip a beat. She realized for the first time that she was frightened. More then frightened, really. She was absolutely petrified. She didn't wish to die and she desperately wanted to protect those close to her. Her father, Auron, even Tidus. There wouldn't be boats for them and she knew that. As much as they might try to convince her, she knew that there just weren't enough boats for everyone. Tidus shook his head and stopped his quick pace down the hall.

"It's too late," he said. "All the lower decks will have been completely flooded. I've a different responsibility now." He looked at Yuna and Rikku knew that they were going to head up to A deck and get in boats, if there were any. She wasn't sure if she was ready to let go yet, but she knew she had to.

The Titanic truly was sinking and there was nothing left to do about that then to be sure that she survived.

------------

A/N: I'm not really sure I like the way this chapter turned out. It doesn't seem as action-packed as it should be, but I don't want to totally rip off the movie because that would be boring and unoriginal. I hope you're not as disappointed with it as I am. Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Just so you know, I took creative liberties with the time. I don't know the exact time that Titanic went down or struck the berg, so I'm using my creative license here. So don't yell at me if you actually, for some reason, know the correct times.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

_Rikku, Sunday April 15, 1912, 1:40 a.m._

Tidus led them up a crewman's staircase, and that was the moment that Rikku really saw that the Titanic wasn't as stable as she'd thought. Through all the water, it had never seemed to lose its strong steadiness, but now she could see it was all a façade. Because they had been walking lengthwise along the ship, it hadn't looked any different.

When he turned them into the staircase though, she could see how uneven it actually was. The right side of the staircase rested about five inches above the left. Auron helped her on the walk up and she was grateful for his strong hands on her waist, making sure that she didn't fall. Her body had grown used to the temperature of the water, but as they went up the stairs and hit the open air, everything was so much colder. Her teeth chattered helplessly, the bottom half of her dress and coat soaked and clinging to her legs.

"Are you all right?" Auron asked her quietly, hands continuing to cling to her waist even after they were off the stairs.

She nodded and tried to still her chattering teeth. "It's just…very cold," she said. He nodded and came to a stop, whipping off his jacket and wrapping it securely around her. She tried to shake her head and pushed off the heavy wool.

"No, you'll freeze," she protested.

"You're more important," he assured her. "I'm hardly cold anyway."

She knew he was lying through his teeth, but the jacket was just so warm and she knew arguing would get her nowhere anyway. Auron could be as stubborn as she, if he felt like it. She slid her arms into the sleeves of the coat and pulled it tighter around her, burying her nose in the lapel and taking in his scent. She was glad for it, knowing it would help calm her down later, when they were separated, as she knew they would be.

The deck was severely flooded with people and Rikku couldn't see any boats. The front of the ship was under water. She could remember how high off the water it had been and her throat felt tight. She feared she might start crying, so she scanned the deck for boats instead. She couldn't see any.

"The boats are all gone," she said, trying to keep the hysterics from her voice, her breath puffing in front of her face as she spoke. The night was cold as death and her wet dress didn't help any. Tidus shook his head and climbed nimbly up a pole holding up the captain's quarters. His head turned about for a moment before he slid back down.

"It's no good, there aren't any left on this side. There are a few all the way forward, though. Come, this way." He led them through the crowd, a difficult task as they were fighting against the pull of traffic. Rikku followed, clutching Auron's hand as if it would keep everything stable and upright. Tidus led them straight through another crewman's passage, and someone called to them that they weren't allowed through there. They were promptly ignored and soon, they were on the opposite side of the deck. There were many people flooding this side as well. They wouldn't be able to get through, not with all these men struggling to get to the boats first. They wouldn't be able to break the mob-like crowd.

"What will we do? We'll never get up there in time," Yuna asked, looking paler then usual, her bi-colored eyes trained on Tidus.

"Yes, we will," Auron answered gruffly. He pulled the gun from where he'd stashed it and fired it into the air. There were screams around them and people ducked out of the way.

"Move!" Auron barked. "We've got two women here…"

"I don't care about them!" a bolder man snapped. "What about us…"

"You will move or I will shoot you like dogs," Auron growled, waving the gun threateningly. This seemed enough to influence them, and a path was created, straight up to boat number fourteen. Tidus and Auron ushered them up, not that they really needed convincing. As they neared the boat, though, Rikku began to rethink leaving Auron behind on the boat. She loved him, so how could she just leave him to die? She knew that he wouldn't allow her to stay on the ship with him, but she felt like an awful person all the same. As they moved, she started unfastening her lifebelt.

"What are you doing?" he asked her, hands clamping over hers to still the movements.

"I'll be on a boat," she answered, shaking her hands free and continuing her work. "I won't need this. But you…" she couldn't bring herself to say the words. He looked down at her, russet eyes full of understanding and sadness at the same time.

"Just promise me that you'll put it on," she whispered, pulling the vest over her head and shoving it firmly against his chest. His nod was her only answer. They'd reached the front of the group now, and a crewman was standing near Yuna, looking impatient as she kissed Tidus goodbye, tears streaming down her cheeks. Rikku noticed that now, in the midst of all the terror, no one seemed to notice that a first class lady was kissing a steward. Funny, how fear really put things into perspective. Tidus and the other man helped Yuna step over the edge of the ship, across the gap that led to the churning water below, and into the boat. The women already in shifted around to make room for her, stroking her hair and sharing in their misery.

"You next, miss," the man instructed, holding out a hand for Rikku to take. Rikku looked at him and then turned back to Auron, seizing his shirt and yanking his face down so she could kiss him once more.

"I love you," she murmured between kisses. "I love you so much. Survive through this, please. Meet me on the steamer that picks up the survivors. We'll be married as soon as she reach land," she begged of him, kissing his face. He answered with consoling words; words that they both knew might be lies.

"Of course, Rikku. Of course I will. I love you. Always remember that."

"Yes, yes, I will. You'll tell me every day," she whispered. A pair of hands clamped around her waist and lifted her away from Auron. She tried to cling to him, but his hands gently pried her fingers from the folds of his shirt. The quartermaster lowered her into the boat next to Yuna, who was still sobbing openly. Rikku found, though, that she couldn't cry. She just didn't have the energy. She pulled Yuna into a hug, stroking the brunette's hair, eyes never leaving Auron's. A few more women were loaded in and then the quartermaster yelled,

"That's all for this one, lads. Lower away, left and right!" The boat began its tumultuous trip down towards the inky black water. There were many people already thrashing about in its dark depths, and Rikku feared they might be swamped if others tried to climb aboard. One of the crewmen was fiddling with something in the bottom of the boat and the other was instructing them on how to paddle the boat away. Some of the women seemed downright affronted at the fact that they would have to row, but the third class girls, the ones with brains, were copying the motions being shown to them with their hands. Rikku would have helped, but Yuna was clinging to her so tightly, she probably couldn't have pried her away with a crowbar.

The boat rocked as it settled into the water and Rikku took one final glance up, dismayed that she was unable to see Auron on the deck. Perhaps he had already left, looking for a way to survive the ship, or maybe they had pushed him back to wait with the other men. To wait for what, Rikku didn't know. Death, most likely. She didn't like to think that way, though, so she concentrated on Yuna. She was still crying, though the tears were falling silently down her face now. It was almost as if she didn't have the energy to gasp and sob.

It was a lot colder, down on the ocean. There was nothing to block the harsh winds. Rikku, being half soaking wet, was shivering and had already lost feeling in her toes. She felt bad for the women who were wearing pajamas and slippers, rather then substantial shoes. Rikku buried her nose in the lapel of Auron's jacket and breathed in his scent deeply. It helped her calm down, and maybe even warmed her a little.

The girls that were paddling had sheens of sweat about their foreheads. Rikku wondered if it was worth it, to keep the cold away. They were all silent, listening to the screams and cries from the grand ship that had been their home for the past few days. From the outside, it was even easier to see how bad things were. The entire front end had been submerged, and the back was beginning to lift from the water. Rikku wondered how much longer Titanic would be on top of the ocean. A loud snapping noise resounded, followed quickly by another and the sound of crunching metal. There were screams of terror as one of the steam pipes ripped from the ship and fell sideways, hitting the ocean with a resounding splash. It created such a wave that it rocked their little boat, making some of the women scream. When they finally settled and started pulling away even farther, Rikku started to feel antsy.

"Shouldn't we stay close?" she asked. "So we can take on more passengers later?"

"It's no good," the crewman said with a sigh. "If we stay, either Titanic's suction will pull us down, or the people themselves. If we stay here, we'll all die. We must keep moving and get away."

"But…we'll come back, right?" Rikku asked desperately. "After the ship's gone down and we're safe from the suction, we'll come back, won't we?"

He didn't answer, and Rikku knew what that meant. They weren't going back. They were going to sit safely in their boats and listen until the screams for help of a thousand dying people faded away. Rikku looked out to the horizon, praying to see the lights of a steamship making towards, them, but all was dark.

Over the next hour, the sound of snapping and crunching metal ripped through the night and, one by one, the rest of the pipes fell, crushing people beneath their mighty weight. Rikku didn't know how long she sat there watching, but eventually, the ship's front end was fully engulfed and the back lifted from the water, the ship becoming perpendicular to the water's surface. The strangest part, though, was that the lights were still on. Not for long though, after a minute or so, there were more sounds of snapping and crunching metal. The tail end of Titanic started to fall back towards Earth, and screams ruptured the night once more. Almost as soon as it hit, though, it lifted back up, once again rising high and mighty over the ocean like a marker to represent their position. The water around the bottom began to bubble as the ship slipped silently downward. Rikku could see people standing on the very end, waiting for the water to engulf them. It took only moments for the whole ship to sink under. First there were only bubbles to show what had once been there, and then nothing. Nothing but the people the ship had left behind.

-----------------

A/N: Hm…so I like this one better then the last one. It seemed better, more emotional and I thought it came across pretty well. Then again, I might just be biased. So, help me out here people. Let me know what you think by pushing the 'go' button.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I got a Titanic poster for Christmas! I was totally geeking out!

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

_Rikku, Sunday April 15, 1912_

They'd been sitting out there for who knew how long in the freezing air. It had gotten very quiet after some elapsed time and Rikku was freezing, sad, and exhausted. She just wanted to sleep, but she knew she shouldn't. Something told her that if she fell asleep, she wouldn't wake up again. So instead, she opted to stare out over the water in search of a rescue vessel.

When they drew nearer to another boat, boat four it turned out, they were lashed together. The extra company did nothing to raise anyone's spirits, though boat four did have extra blankets that they passed along quite helpfully. Rikku wrapped one around herself and Yuna, who had yet to say a word since they had left the ship. Rikku thought of Auron, wondering if he was all right. If he was even alive. She then thought of her father. Cid had always been a survivor, but he'd never been much of a swimmer. He'd always hated the water, so he'd never thought it necessary to learn how to swim properly. He'd been wearing a life preserver, last she'd seen, but it was so cold, he was likely to freeze to death while idling. Perhaps while he was waiting for the boats to come back and pluck them from the water. But Rikku knew they wouldn't, because they were horrendous, selfish creatures. Willing to let hundreds die to save their own skins. It was despicable…and yet there she sat.

"We've got to go back!" she spoke up, her voice strong. "We can't leave them all out there to die! From the sounds of it, most of them are dead as it is. There is no danger of being swamped. Let us go back and save those who might have a chance!"

The crewman on the other boat seemed to agree with Rikku, as he was nodding vehemently.

"The girl's right, of course. There is no danger of being swamped now. All right…I want all the women in boat fourteen to come over here to ours. There's easily enough room for everyone. Besides, the closer quarters will help keep us warm. All right ladies, up you get."

Rikku was glad someone was finally listening to her. She helped Yuna over to the other boat, watching as the other women were transferred. Due to the less then stable conditions, the transfer took almost three quarters of an hour. The boat, equipped with the three Crewmen combined from the boats, set back off toward the floating bodies in the water. They shone a large flashlight and were yelling for people to answer them. Rikku couldn't hear any responses.

It was another hour before the boat came back, with three people resting inside it, half frozen to death. Riku plucked the blanket from around her shoulders and passed it on to a man so frozen he was literally covered in ice. The man thanked her through chattering teeth, curling himself inside the blanket. She scanned all their faces, but there were none she recognized. Not her father, not Tidus. Not Auron. A bit of her heart died in that moment, and she knew it was hopeless. They were dead. The most important men in her life were both dead.

Quite suddenly, she realized that she was sobbing. Throughout the entire ordeal, she hadn't shed a single tear. She'd stayed strong, kept her head high, took care of Yuna, argued with the crewman to save those in the water. Now, though, she was reduced to a sobbing mess in lifeboat number fourteen in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. She clutched Yuna tightly, crying into her hair, unable to hold it all in. She was done being brave. Now she just wanted to cry. She realized with a start that she wanted her mother. Arianna might be cold and uptight, but she was family and a familiar touch. Maybe it was just her inner child, yearning for the loving touch of her mother. She continued to sob until, against her better judgment, she slipped off to sleep.

Rikku awoke in the boat a little bit later. Yuna was shaking her awake, her voice whispering words the blonde couldn't understand. She sat up straight, looking around in confusion. She noticed another boat had drifted close to them. She scanned their faces quickly, heart sinking when she didn't recognize any. At least, none that mattered much to her.

"What is it Yuna?" she asked, finally gaining her bearings. Couldn't Yuna have just let her sleep through all that horror? At this point, all seemed helpless. They would wait in those little boats until they all died. Land was hundreds of miles away, they had no food, no water…Nothing. They would all die out there in the midst of the blank canvas that had sucked Titanic under and claimed the lives of so many people. The crewmen had only filled the boats halfway, at most. Not even half of the passengers had survived and only three had been saved from the water. Three out of over a thousand.

"Rikku," Yuna whispered again. "Look. There are lights on the horizon!" Rikku tensed up and turned to look where Yuna was pointing. She didn't think Yuna would play such a cruel trick, but she also hoped her poor cousin wasn't merely hallucinating. It appeared, though, that she wasn't. There were in fact, the pinpricks of light on the horizon. A loud cheer rose up from several people, though most were unable to show any emotion other then sadness.

"It's not a ship," the crewman, Barthello, in Rikku's boat said pessimistically. "It's only an illusion. A shared illusion. We're all going to die out here, I tell you."

"Shut it, you!" one of the men who had been pulled from the water snapped. "I didn't live through that hell just to die in the damn boat."

"She'll just ignore us. She'll float right on past, just as the Californian did before her."

"No other boats came past!" a black haired woman spoke harshly. "We would have seen them and they most definitely would have stopped…"

"You think so, do you, Mrs. Brown?" he snapped back. "Nuh-uh. I was in the room with the communicator when she sent out the message to the Californian. She was near about ten miles away, she coulda made it if she wanted to. But she didn't. She left us to die."

"Stop it!" Lulu snapped. "You're scaring me!"

"Just because one ship didn't get our message doesn't mean this one won't," the crewman, Issaru, from the other boat said kindly. "I'll daresay they are coming to pick us up right now. We shan't be out here for another half hour yet, I'd say."

Rikku liked him a lot more then she liked the man who was in her boat. She couldn't believe that she was actually envious of boat four in their current predicament. It was such a stupid reaction when so many people were less then three hundred feet away, dead. Was she so spoiled that she could complain about the people around her when she was still alive and well and she had no idea about the condition of the people that she loved?

As they waited for the foreign steamer to reach them, Rikku couldn't control her morbid thoughts. All those dead people out there…how long would they continue to float? The human body was naturally buoyant, but once the oxygen was gone they would sink away. But what of those in lifebelts? How long would their frozen corpses continue to float there in the middle of the Atlantic? Why was she harboring these terrible thoughts? Would she ever again be able to sleep without hearing those desperate screams in her head? Sail on a ship without fearing that it might sink? Feel the cold against her skin without being brought back to this terrible night? Would she regret falling in love? Was she capable of it? Would she live her life alone, never able to move on because she would always compare everyone to that one man? Though she hated to admit it, she knew the answer to that last would most likely be yes.

The Carpathia-for that was the steamer that came to their rescue-approached them what seemed like hours later but couldn't have possibly been that long. They collected the other boats out in the distance and headed over toward boat numbers four, ten, and fourteen. Rikku almost couldn't climb up the ladder provided to reach the ship. She almost couldn't bring herself to do it. Climbing up to that ship meant that she was leaving her old life behind. All the bad things, like her betrothal, but all the wonderful things as well. The love of her parents, the stability of her life, Auron. Stepping aboard the Carpathia would take all that away from her. Yet, what else could she do? Stay in the boat? That wasn't an option. It was almost impressive, how one ship had managed to turn her entire life upside down and then drag it down to the depths of the sea. The only reason she eventually went up was Yuna standing behind her, urging her quietly to move. At the top of a ladder, a brunet man helped her climb over the railing. Rikku could almost feel her life sinking away, as ridiculous as it sounded.

She was barely on board for a moment before another man with a clipboard converged upon her.

"Can I have your name, Miss?" he asked, pen poised for her response. For a long moment she blanked, unable to think of her name, as if the Titanic had stolen that as well when it had sunk. That, of course, was a ridiculous notion. A moment later she spoke her name aloud, almost as if confirming who she was to herself.

"Rikku Godhand. My name is Rikku Godhand," she spoke, her voice quivering just slightly. He jotted it down.

"Thank you, Miss." He moved towards Yuna, but Rikku grabbed his arm tightly.

"Wait a moment. Have you checked everyone who has come on the ship?"

"Yes I have Miss. Are you searching for a name?"

"Auron Masamune. Cid and Arianna Godhand. Tidus…"

"Jecht," Yuna spoke up. "Tidus Jecht."

The man flipped through his pages, frowning slightly as he searched for a name, any name.

"Ah. Here we are. Arianna Godhand. You should find her in the first class. What were the other names?"

"Cid Godhand," Rikku spoke. After a few moments of flipping there was a shake of the head. "No, I'm sorry Miss."

"Tidus Jecht!" Yuna interjected, her eyes wild.

The man began flipping again, eyes flashing over his handwriting quickly.

"Tidus…Jecht. Yes miss, the name is right here." Yuna let out a gasp of breath before collapsing to her knees, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"Oh thank you God!" she exclaimed. "Thank you…where can I find him, please…"

"Yuna!" a voice interrupted them.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Here we are, my friends.** THE FINAL CHAPTER!!!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.

_Rikku, Sunday April 15, 1912, 4:20 a.m._

In the next moment Tidus was hugging Yuna to his chest like she was the last solid thing on Earth. His entire person was damp, but neither of them seemed to care. They just clung to each other, both crying, though Yuna was more like sobbing. Despite all this, they still kissed, small desperate kisses. Rikku watched their reunion for a moment before urgently turning back to the man.

"Please," she begged. "Please. Auron Masamune, please." She continued to plead with him as if that would make everything okay. As if that would deliver Auron safely into her arms. Tidus and Yuna stopped in their rejoicing, both falling silent as they awaited the news. It seemed to drag on for an eternity before the man looked up, eyes sad.

"I'm sorry miss. It's not here."

Both her father and Auron. Neither of them had survived, yet somehow Tidus had. She felt terrible for wishing otherwise. It was Yuna's happiness against her own, and she felt selfish.

"Why?" she muttered. She turned on Tidus with a low growl. "You were with him, weren't you? What happened to him? Why did you survive and he didn't?"

Tidus stared at her, his blue eyes sad. "I'm sorry, Rikku, I don't know. We were together. Right about half an hour before she went down, Captain Wakka informed us that it was every man for himself and encouraged all the crewman to live if we could. The major and I decided it would be in our best interest to stay on as long as possible, rather then jumping into the water to freeze to death prematurely. When the ship was sucked under, I lost him. There were so many people all around…I found something solid to float on. People all around were screaming for the boats to come back…why didn't the boats come back? Why did you all wait so long?"

Rikku couldn't say another word. She was completely numb. He had promised her. Promised her that he would survive. She had known as they spoke that it was a promise he couldn't even begin to keep, and yet she had held onto the hope that maybe, just maybe he would be all right. She knew now that she had been fooling herself. They'd been playing a part, the both of them. She should have never left Titanic. She should have stayed with him. Dying together with him would have been far better then living the rest of her life without. It had been a stupid, selfish thing she'd done, getting on the lifeboat. She should have stayed. She walked away and could hear Yuna calling after her and the man asking for Yuna's name behind her. She paid no attention, walking away briskly. She just needed some time alone. She needed time to think…or to time to not think, she wasn't quite sure herself. She had a feeling if anyone offered her words of pity she'd start screaming and never stop. Now she was just so tired and sleeping away all her issues just seemed like the best idea. Maybe she could escape her head and her thoughts. She doubted it, but it was worth a try. She could hardly believe that only three hours ago she'd been standing on deck of Titanic, clutching the man she loved. It all seemed so long ago.

She found a deck chair and collapsed onto it, not really caring what anyone might think as she fell asleep on top of it, huddled inside Auron's jacket.

She woke many hours later to find they had set sail and someone had covered her with a blanket. The sun had risen and was now high in the sky, making her believe the time was somewhere around noon. There were people milling about, many pale women sitting there numb with others around trying to calm them down or comfort them. They were obviously passengers of the Carpathia. They couldn't possibly offer comfort when they knew nothing of that pain. Rikku just wanted to yell and scream at everyone, though she knew it was stupid. Screaming wouldn't make them understand. It wouldn't help anything, but it might make her feel better. She didn't though. Instead, she stood, folded the blanket, and set off to find her mother. All their petty arguments had been so stupid, so wasteful. She hoped Arianna would realize that as well.

Rikku found her mother inside, a blanket clutched tightly around her shoulders, her eyes blank and empty.

"Mother?" Rikku said quietly, resting a hand on Arianna's shoulder. "Mother, are you all right?"

"Rikku…your father…" she spoke quietly. "Cid is…"

"Yes mother, I know. Auron is gone too," Riku spoke with a choked voice.

Arianna looked up and met her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I was foolish. He was a good man…he could have taken care of you. I just couldn't see past my own pigheadedness…"

Rikku shook her head and held up a hand to silence her mother.

"There is no point now, mother. He's dead," she said with finality. She didn't want to hear Arianna sing Auron's praises now that he was dead.

"You understand, though? That I shan't marry Gippal when we reach New York?" Arianna stared at her hard for a long time before nodding.

"Yes, Rikku. I understand that."

"I don't think I shall ever marry, mother," she warned. Arianna merely nodded again. "It would be unfair to ask such a thing of you. I don't think anyone could ask me to marry again after Cid. I loved your father, with all my heart and soul. I only wish now that I had told him that more often."

Arianna dissolved into tears and Rikku found that she couldn't stand there and look at her mother as she cried. She patted her shoulder half-heartedly and set off again, this time to find Tidus. She knew that she owed him an apology, though she didn't exactly feel like giving it to him. It wasn't his fault that Auron hadn't survived, but she couldn't help but feel resentment towards him. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help herself. Still, he would be her cousin, her family. She couldn't hate him.

It wasn't long before she found them, huddled together in a in a nice room, not speaking, merely watching those around them. Rikku was a bit pleased to see they couldn't look happy together, too bothered by the sad faces all around them. Again, that small bit of vindictive satisfaction made her feel guilty. Were they to suffer because they were alive? What kind of fairness was that? Rikku approached them slowly and she realized that they looked a bit nervous.

"I…am sorry," she said softly. "I spoke harshly earlier. I was…am…upset, but that is no excuse…"

"Rikku," Yuna spoke up softly. "We don't blame you. We know that it isn't fair, we do. But we can't do anything to change it."

Rikku nodded again. "It just…it makes me so mad, Yuna! If they had sent back the boats…if maybe we had stayed closer…he might be alive right now! So many more people might be alive right now!"

"That wasn't your fault, Rikku," Tidus sighed. "Yuna told me that you were lobbying to come back the entire time. They wouldn't listen to you, and that isn't your fault. They should have done as you told them, but they didn't. Hundreds are dead because of it, but that isn't your fault. This isn't anyone's fault, really. One too many challenges to God, I suppose. We were all so confident, and we were all proven wrong."

Rikku merely nodded and hung her head, wishing to cry. Tidus held out an arm and took her hand.

"Come here," he said softly. She settled on his other side, leaning her head against his shoulder and finally let herself cry. Her entire body wracked with sobs. Tidus and Yuna comforted her as much as they could, but it didn't really help. Nothing would really help. A lot of time passed and Rikku sort of slipped out of her body. She wasn't really asleep, but her mind wasn't really there. It was like there was a giant white abyss where she didn't have to think, didn't have to feel. She quite liked it there. It was nice. It was comforting. It was empty.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there when a hand started shaking her roughly. She was pulled from her emptiness and a bit annoyed by that. She slapped the hand away and glared at Tidus.

"What?" she hissed. "Haven't I suffered enough for today? Couldn't you just have let me be?"

"If you think your experience was bad, try convincing a boat full of terrified women that letting you onto their lifeboat won't swamp them," a voice said dryly. Rikku's heart came to a stop and her eyes went wide. She wondered if she was dreaming, perhaps even dead. Maybe she really had slipped into oblivion. Slipped so far into her own mind that she could imagine that voice.

The blonde lifted her head and stared straight into those russet eyes, unable to react.

"Hello, Rikku," he said.

She let out a small scream and threw herself into his arms. Auron lifted her straight off her feet and hugged her tightly. She kissed every bit of him she could reach, tears pouring freely around her face.

"I told you I'd meet you here. I promised, didn't I?" She didn't answer him, just sobbed and nodded.

"I thought…I thought…" she choked.

"I know," he answered, voice soft. "I know, I'm sorry."

"Where were you?" she howled. "Why wasn't your name on the list? How could you let me think that you were dead?"

"After the ship went down, I stayed in place for a long while. I tried to keep calm, tried to think…but it was so cold. I knew I'd freeze to death if I didn't move. I swam to the nearest boat and convinced them to pull me in. I was told I lost consciousness not long after that. I just woke up hardly five minutes ago."

She hadn't known he was alive because he had been unconscious. If she had taken any time to actually search for him instead of just accepting that he was dead, she could have saved herself so much grief.

"I love you!" Rikku murmured. "I love you so much."

"I know," he answered. "I love you too. Marry me, Rikku."

"Yes of course. I promised, didn't I?"

Rikku suddenly had a new take on life. Just moments ago she had been utterly destroyed, but now everything was okay. Of course it was terrible that so many people had died. That her father had died. The fact that Auron was alive, though, that made everything better.

Titanic had been a tragedy that would forever live on in her memory and yet, it was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

--------------------

A/N: EL FIN! Yeah…so they both lived. In all honesty, I had been planning on killing Tidus off this whole time but I changed my mind last minute. I was like, "eh, screw it." Anyway, I really hope you liked it, despite the cheesiness. It took me forever and a year to write this, so do me a favor and review for me. Thanks a lot.

Oh yeah, one more thing. Number of times I watched the movie Titanic since I started writing this monster? 5. Yes. 5. That's like…twenty hours of Titanic. That's almost a complete day. Jeez, I love that movie. Again…review.


End file.
